A Congregants Reflection on Etz Chaim
A former congregant has moved to the Bay Area in California a little over a month ago and has established a new life for himself. He has been reflecting on his years at Etz Chaim and has written a letter of praise that he wants to share with us. Find out more.

Sisterhood News & Recap
Even though the school year is over, the Temple Gift Shop is still open for business during office hours. Don't forget to shop here for your Judaic items while supporting the Sisterhood.

The Sisterhood's Ladies Night Out and the Appreciation Dinner were well attended and lots of fun. This fall Sisterhood will continue their lunch and dinner outings, all members are welcome to attend and join in the fun! Read more here.

Walk With Israel 2008
On May 4th members of Etz Chaim joined in the Walk With Israel at McCormick Place, Chicago. The festivities included; various speakers, kosher food vendors and Israeli musicians. Read all about it here.

Congregational Retreat; A View From a Participant
Whoever attends the Congregational Retreat always has a wonderful time. The friendships that are made, the lessons that are learned and the spiritual feelings and experiences will not be forgotten. Read Jon & Rebecca Berman's thoughts on the retreat here.

Computers Needed
The computer lab is looking for gently used computers for the computer lab. If your computer is a few years old but not being used anymore, please email Anne with specifics. When emailing Anne, please include the computer Make, Model, Speed (Mhz) and RAM.  We are looking to upgrade the lab this summer and have at least three or four computers that are too old to work well. We could also use a few more laptops for use at Westlake.

Social Action Committee News
There are some interesting new opportunities that are coming up late this year and early next year. Read about them here.

Build a Home with Habitat!
Join the Union for Reform Judaism Adult Mitzvah Corps the week on July 15th-July 19th to build a home with Habitat for Humanity! Here's a wonderful opportunity not only to help a family in need, but to form relationships with our Jewish community and beyond. For registration (deadline is June 30th) materials and detailed information, please click here.

Camp Katan
Registration is now open for Camp Katan. Camp Katan meets at Etz Chaim from July 21st through August 1st and is for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds. The hours are 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM  Read more about camp here.

From the Administrator: Membership & Religious School Information 2008-2009
By now you should have received all the 2008 – 2009 forms you will need for making your annual dues commitment and registering for Religious School. The packet included a Dues Schedule and Worksheet, a Donation Funds List, Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and ARZA information. For those with children who attended Religious School last year you will find the Registration Forms, Textbook Order Form, School Calendar, Volunteer Form, and information about bagel break.

If you are a parent of a child who has not attended Religious School in the past, please note that you will need to let us know so we can mail you out forms for that child (even if you currently have other children that attend).

All of these forms were mailed to those families who have met all of this year’s financial obligations. If you did not receive a packet please call the Temple office.

At this time I would also like to remind everyone that effective July 1, 2008 we will no longer be reimbursing anyone for sales tax paid when making purchases on behalf of the Temple, Religious School, or Nursery School.

If you need a letter with our tax exempt number on it, please call or email the Temple office and we will be sure to send you one.

Adult Service Program in Israel
Etz Chaim's first adult social action-oriented trip is being planned for April 30th - May 10th, 2009. Our next planning committee meeting is Tuesday July 22, 2008 at 7:30 PM in the library. All are welcome! For more information, contact Sue Deisinger.