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Rabbi's Letters

Rabbi Adir Glick's Letters

December 30, 2021: New Year's Message

Rabbi Adir Glick


Dear Friends,
 
I am writing to you after flying back from Israel where I was visiting family. 
 
I and other travelers in the U.S. and around the world have encountered many challenges: the pandemic has forced changes to our flights and created new government rules for leaving and entering nations, even stipulating special permission...Read more...

November 14, 2021: Join the Rabbi for a Prayer Class on Kavanah (Concentration)

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,Have you ever struggled to find concentration in prayer? Have you wondered how the traditional prayers and service can touch our hearts? Read more...

November 14, 2021: Join the Rabbi for a Prayer Class on Kavanah (Concentration)

Rabbi Adir Glick

Prayer with Rabbi Glick

Join Rabbi Glick for a prayer class on Kavanah (Concentration)

Dear Friends,

Have you ever struggled to find concentration in prayer? Have you wondered how the traditional prayers and service can touch our hearts? 

How do we...Read more...

October 24, 2021: First Rabbi Glick prayer class (sourcesheet attached)

Rabbi Adir Glick

Rabbi Glick begins his series on the big ideas of prayer this morning at 11 am. The subject is 'The Challenges and Opportunities of the traditional Service.' Please click here to view the class recording. Please click here for the sourcesheet.Read more...

October 20, 2021: Delve Into the World of Jewish Prayer

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,

Prayer is a wondrous practice. 

It has been with us since the dawn of mankind. 

It is the simple act of us human beings, tiny as we are within the broad cosmos, reaching out across the chasm to communicate with the Universal Consciousness that ties together all of life. It is an incredible idea that God is even interested in hearing from us. 

Prayer is at the center of...Read more...

October 13, 2021: A Season for Everything

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,

Have you ever heard the Biblical quote, “ A season is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven/ a time for being born and a time for dying... ”?  It is from the book of Kohelet/ Ecclesiastes, one of the most accessible and profound books of the Bible. It explores the biggest question of all - what is the meaning of...Read more...

August 15, 2021: Join me for a morning of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue with Shaul Judelman and Noor Awad

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,

Please join us this coming Sunday morning, August 15, at 10:30 am for a conversation with Israeli-American Shaul Judelman and Palestinian Noor Awad, leaders with the grassroots Israeli-Palestinian dialogue initiative Roots.

I met (Rabbi) Shaul Judelman nearly 15 years ago when I was doing social justice and journalism work with Tevel...Read more...

May 30, 2021: Join us  for 'The Legacy of the Six Day War' with Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,

After the past two week of worrying conflict in Israel that has rattled all of us, we have a unique opportunity on Sunday, May 30th at 11 am to hear Yossi Klein Halevi, one of the leading international journalists and political commentators analyzing
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the relationship between Israel and the American Jewish communities.

Mr. Halevi is...Read more...

May 24: 2021: Violence at Yesterday’s Pro-Israel March in Naperville & Talk by Yossi Klein Halevi

Rabbi Adir Glick

 Dear Friends,Yesterday, peaceful protestors were physically assaulted at Naperville’s march for Israel that was attended by a number of our memRead more...

May 23, 2021: TONIGHT at 7pm - Bari Weiss on Cancel Culture

Rabbi Adir Glick

 tonight at 7Read more...

May 21, 2021: Shabbat Shalom Wishes

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends, A cease fire was declared between Israel and Hamas yesterday. We can all sleep better. However, it has been a challenging ten daysRead more...

May 20, 2021:  Join us on May 30th at 11 am for 'The Legacy of the Six Day War' with Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,After the past two week of worrying conflict in Israel that has rattled all of us, we have a unique opportunity on Sunday, May 30th aRead more...

May 18, 2021: Join us this Sunday at 7pm for leading Jewish Journalist Bari Weiss on Cancel Culture

Rabbi Adir Glick

 Dear Friends,This Sunday we will join with nine other synagogues nationally to hear Bari Weiss talk about ‘Cancel Culture through a Jewish LensRead more...

May 14, 2021: Israel, Shavuot & Chag Sameach Wishes

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,
 
It has been one of the most trying and challenging weeks for Israel in many years.

Unprecedented barrages of rockets sent millions into bunkers and caused injury and death.
 
Even worse perhaps, widespread inter-citizen violence between Jewish and Arab Israelis put into peril the fragile coexistence of 7 million Jews...Read more...

May 12, 2021:  Join me tomorrow morning at 10 am for a Class on the Spiritual Music of Modern Israel

Rabbi Adir Glick

Dear Friends,What do Eti Ankari, Evyatar Banai, Shuli Rand, and Meir Ariel have in common?They were all major musical stars in Israel who found reRead more...

May 12, 2021: Rockets raining down on Israel

Rabbi Adir Glick

​​​​​​​Dear Friends,The past 48 hours have seen a worrying and unprecedented escalation of rocket attacks against Israel by the HamasRead more...

March 5: The power of ancient prayers; question...  Why do we display three columns when we do hagbah (lift the Torah) at the end of the Torah service?

One year into the pandemic and there is still so much uncertainty about what our future will hold.    How will our lives change once a majority of us are vaccinated? How will the new variants - from England, South Africa, to Brazil - affect our efforts?   When will normal life come back? Because, as we say in modern Hebrew,Read more...

Feb. 19: Purim;  question...  What is Kabbalah and what is its place within Judaism and within our holy texts and books?

Finally, there are encouraging signs as the Covid-19 numbers decrease both in Illinois and in our nation. The vaccination efforts are progressing. Next week is Purim, our most joyous holiday. And yet, with our current bout of winter, we are also feeling unrest and fatigue.Read more...

Jan. 29, 2021: A period of consequence; and What makes a Torah scroll kosher? 

It has been a period of consequence and of activity for our nation and world. It already feels like a long time since our country ushered in a new beginning.Read more...

Jan. 20, 2021: Rabbi Glick & The Caring Committee Need Your Help

Dear Friends, Community has kept Jews flourishing through pandemics and challenging times for millenia. Due to the pandemic,Read more...

Jan. 15, 2021: How to fight darkness;    and the weekly question:   What does Judaism believe about the afterlife?

It has not been an easy two weeks. After the events of the past ten days, the storming of the Capitol and the concerns surrounding the inauguration, we are challenged not to be overcome by negativity, worry, and fear.  For good reason! Our nation underwent a harrowing and difficult event that has brought many deep issues into focus and to the fore.Read more...

Dec. 18, 2020: We are fatigued, it's time to find kindness; and the weekly question: what is the correct way to light a menorah/ chanukiyah?

Hannukah is behind us, and before us is the winter break followed by hopefully our last few months of restrictions before the rollout of the vaccine. The final leg of a race is always challenging. We tire and sensing the end, we let go of our built up defenses.Read more...

Dec. 11, 2020: Chag Sameach; and the weekly question: why do we pray for rain twice in the Amidah and why does one of them follow our Jewish calendar and the other our secular calendar?

Dear Friends,Chag Sameach – Happy Hannukah.I hope that you have all felt the light and uplift of Hannukah.There is an ancient disagreement betRead more...

Dec. 4, 2020: People finding the light;  and the weekly question:  what is the origin of the minyan?

Another week goes by, and next week is Hannukah.Hannukah (next Thursday) feels particularly meaningful this year. We are all in needRead more...

Nov. 27, 2020:  Turn to each other and support one another; and the weekly question:   “In our prayers we often say ‘Lord of Hosts.’ What does it mean?”

I hope that you all had a restful and revitalizing Thanksgiving, despite the circumstances. There is always so much to be grateful for; family, friends, food on our table. We are learning new skills and developing new wisdom.Read more...

Nov. 20, 2020: Thanksgiving  during the pandemic; and the weekly question:   how to make prayer meaningful

Next week is Thanksgiving, our national holiday of gathering and gratitude. Unfortunately, with the surge in our numbers, we are looking at a lonely Thanksgiving meal and celebration. Yet, from Passover to Rosh Hashannah, we have been through this. We know the bittersweet joys of Zoom seders and Facetime family get-togethers.Read more...

Nov. 13, 2020:  A different winter bunkering down;  and the weekly question:   What is the triennial reading?

 Here we go again. In the past week, we received both the promising news of a Covid-19 vaccine and at the same time we are looking at weeks and possibly months of restrictions to our daily life as numbers surge in Illinois and throughout the nation.Read more...

Oct. 30, 2020: Tapping into our higher selves;  and the weekly question; the Tefillat Ha-Derekh, the Jewish traveler's prayer

This week, our governor announced greater restrictions in our State following the rise in Covid cases. From Europe to Israel to Chicago, it appears that another wave of the pandemic is upon us. Added to our Covid fatigue, next week is the culmination of a divisive campaign and an election that many believe to be one of the most important of our lifetimes.Read more...

Oct. 2, 2020: Prayer For All Those With Coronavirus

Dear Friends, We awoke this morning with more Covid related news; the president of the United States has contracted the disease. It is a reminder that our country and world remain in the midst of the dangerous pandemic.Read more...
Tue, September 27 2022 2 Tishrei 5783