By Heidi Geller, Secretary of the Adath Board of Trustees​
​When my kids were little, Friday nights were evenings spent together. Mostly, we’d light candles and have some bread. Consistently, Danny and I needed some down time from our crazy unbalanced weeks, which consisted of driving to work, driving to daycare, running the dishwasher, running the washing machine, running to the grocery, running to Target – you get the picture.

​Needless to say, when Friday night came we had what is now infamously called “Friday Face” – a resting blank face that looks a little frustrated and a little checked out. Therefore on Friday nights I had one request: We be together, but we not talk or create too much energy. So, I instituted Friday movie night.  We’d pick a movie on demand, pop up some corn, throw in some junior mints or milk duds (Jordy is not a mint fan), and we’d stare at the screen…in remarkable silence.

At Adath Chesed Shel Emes Cemetery on Monday, May 29

Memorial Day and Holocaust Remembrance will be observed on Monday, May 29 at 10:30 AM at the congregation cemetery, Adath Chesed Shel Emes. The cemetery is located at 3740 Winnetka Avenue North in Crystal.

by Joel Mintzer
An anniversary is a commemoration that occurs annually. Today, I am celebrating a Bar Mitzversary: an event that occurs only once every 13 years. This Shabbat is the third Bar Mitzversary of my original Bar Mitzvah in 1977. In other words, 39 years later. 

Thirty nine years ago, like today, I gave a d’var torah, and read the maftir and haftorah. But back then, my d’var torah was written by my father.  He was grateful to see the last of four children reach the milestone, and the speech thus referred to me as the caboose of the family.  

By Cantor Scott Buckner
Our synagogue and community is blessed by the presence of many devoted volunteers. At this time I would like to highlight a dedicated group of leaders who keep our daily services running with their love of Torah and davening. These members of Adath read Torah and/or lead services every week at our daily minyan with great skill, loving presence and commitment to our synagogue. They go above and beyond, by making their participation a regular commitment and taking responsibility for leading the service on a particular day and time every week.

by Sharon Garber, Adath Congregant 
​
​I admit it – I was a skeptic and non-believer. Ever since I started attending the SPA service in the library, I felt there was something different about this experience, unlike any service I had previously attended.

I tend to fidget after just a few minutes of a typical service and plan a quick escape route.
I first attended SPA because I thought my out-of-town guest might enjoy it. He did, but the big surprise was that I did too; enough to return almost every month since that first experience. I’ve even invited others to attend who have since become regulars despite the fact that they had not walked into any synagogue for a very long time. The cozy space in the library with a beautiful view out the window provided the perfect setting to match the vibrancy of the service. Over the year or so of services, I bounced to the music during snappy tunes and swayed gently to the slower melodic ones.