In this Issue:

• Join us August 16th for JUF's first ever...

• Volunteer with JUF's Young Women's City Council

• Is your child going to Jewish pre-school or daycare for the first time this Fall?

• What's Happening at the JCC of Chicago

• Parent Tot Morning Storytime Event at SSDS

• Family Fun at Spertus

• Synagogue Programs and Tot Shabbats

• Relaxing on Your Summer Vacation

JUF believes that Jewish early childhood education is so important that we created JUF Right Start to make Jewish preschool and daycare more accessible and affordable for Jewish parents.

Click here to learn more »

JUF’s Shalom Baby welcomes the newest members of our community by providing a complimentary gift package to Jewish newborns up to one year old in Chicagoland.

Click here to learn more »

A live concert featuring the music of Shira Kline’s ShirLaLa:Outrageously Hip Jewish Music for Kids

Perfect for kids 6 and under!

Join JUF as we celebrate the launch of our newest program for families: The PJ Library® and a new year of JUF Right Start!

Shira will perform SUNDAY AUGUST 16 at two times and locations:

• The Menomonee Club
  1535 N. Dayton, Chicago (free parking)
  10:00 – 11:30 AM
• Sullivan Community Center
  635 N. Aspen Drive, Vernon Hills (free parking)
  4:00 – 5:30 PM

Registration: $10/family in advance, $15/family at the door. No family will be turned away for inability to pay (Online registration closes Thursday, August 13th at 5 p.m.). Register online.

Questions? Please contact Roberta Wexler at 312-357-4513.

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Sunday, September 13, 9:00 – 11:00 AM

Join JUF's Young Women’s City (YWC) Council as it partners with Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago for a family friendly volunteer opportunity. Together with your family, you will deliver Rosh Hashanah food packages to Jewish people in need, enabling them to celebrate the Jewish New Year in a traditional and dignified manner. The location will be released as the date approaches and program space is limited. Please contact Elissa at YWCcouncil@juf.org for more information or to RSVP.

More info »

Is your child going to preschool or daycare for the first time this fall? Do you have friends trying to pick a school for their toddler?

JUF believes there’s a world of learning, values, community and joy awaiting your child at Chicago-area Jewish preschool and daycare programs. And we want to help your family discover that wonderful world. The JUF RIGHT START program will pay up to $1,000 toward the tuition of the first child in a family attending a participating Jewish early childhood program for the first time.

• Associated Talmud Torahs of Chicago
  Visit www.att.org for more information about Torah education for children.
• Community Foundation for Jewish Education
  Visit www.cfje.org to see a list of the Community Foundation for Jewish Education's affiliated early childhood programs.
• Jewish Community Center
  Visit www.gojcc.org to learn about the childhood education programs offered by the JCC.
• Board of Jewish Education
  For more information, contact Janet Sear at (847) 634-0363 or view the list of programs at www.bjechicago.org/preschools.asp.

Visit JUF Right Start to learn more »

One Year Anniversary Celebration ofFlorence G. Heller JCC on Wellington!

Join us in celebrating one year of great Adult/Child programs at the Florence G. Heller JCC on Wellington and the Heller JCC Play Village!

Free face-painting, music with Aimee Cousino, cake, and goody bags.
Contact Eileen Goldberg at 224-406-9201 for more information.

Me and My Dad
Information night September 8th, 2009.

The JCC Me and My Dad program brings together fathers and their children through organized participation in age-appropriate, father-and-child group settings. For fathers and their children ages 5-7. For information and to register call Susan Ellenby (224) 406-9223.

JCC Children's Sports and Leagues

• Start Smart Football, ages 3-5
  Begins Aug. 30
• Outdoor Soccer, ages 4-5
  Begins Aug. 27th
  Buffalo Grove. Call 224.543.7000
• Smart Start Football, ages 3-6
  Northbrook. Call Brad Herzog, 224.406.9225

Vacation Days
Begins August 17
When school (or camp) is out, the J is in! Click here for information about the site nearest you.

More info »

Friday morning, August 28

Sager Solomon Schechter Day School will be hosting a Parent Tot Morning Storytime at the Northbrook and Skokie campus. For further details, contact Leslie Rosen Stern, Associate Director of Enrollment at Solomon Schechter Day School by email at leslie.rosenstern@schechter.org or by phone at 847-412-5617.

More info »

Beginning July 1,the Gray Children’s Center, at 610 Michigan Avenue in Chicago, will shift from being open for drop-in visits to being open instead for a range of facilitated family programs. These family programs will feature age-appropriate art workshops, exhibition tours, stories, and activities. Visit www.spertus.edu to check out A Very Special Sunday, July 26, Second Sunday Family Programs, August 9 and Vacation Day Workshops, August 26 and 27.

More info »

Different synagogues have variety of ways to bring young families together especially on Shabbat. Because the service is geared towards young children, they are usually short and end with something sweet. If your synagogue is not listed here, call and find out if they have Tot Shabbat Programs for the family. Most programs are open to families even if you are not a member.

Beth Emet Synagogue The Free Synagoguelocated at 1224 Dempster in Evanston.

• Field Day Sunday, July 26, 10:00 - 12:00PM Families are asked to come and enjoy the summer games at Lovelace Park, located at Gross Point Road and Isabella. For families with children ages 0-10. RSVP to mishpacha@bethemet.org.
• Shabbat Dinner Friday, August 7, 5:15PM Lighthouse Beach Park, located at 2611 Sheridan Road (Central Street and Sheridan Road), For families with children 0-10. RSVP to mishpacha@bethemet.org.
• Tot Shabbat Saturday, August 8, 9:00AM Beth Emet will be hosting a family friendly Shabbat Service, followed by a brunch and play-time. No RSVP is needed.

CongregationBeth Shalom, located at 772 W. 5^th Avenue in Naperville.

Beth Shalom has many programs planned for its youngest population, thanks to the efforts of Elizabeth Sigale. For more information, go to www.napershalom.org or contact Elizabeth Sigale at esigale@comcast.net.

• Park Shabbat Friday, July 24, 4:00PM Come for some play and a quick Shabbat prayer plus some challah and juice at Kendall Park, 84 W.5^th Avenue. A perfect way to end the week, weather permitting.
• Family Service & Family Ice Cream Social Friday, August 7, 6:30 -7:00, 7:00 - 8:00PM A family service is planned at Congregation Beth Shalom followed by a Family Ice Cream Social, instead of the traditional Oneg Shabbat.
• Day at the Zoo Wednesday, August 19, 10:00AM Families will be meeting at the Brookfield Zoo at the Carousel to view the animals and to play on the playground. Families are asked to bring your own lunch and a bathing suit and towel for the kids in the hopes that the splash pad will be open.
• Family Picnic Sunday, August 23, 2:00 - 5:00PM Congregation Beth Shalom will be hosting its annual Family Picnic. There will be music, games, crafts, ice cream and snacks for “kids of all ages.”

More Info »

Article by Elizabeth Gelman
Manager of Education, Spertus Museum

Summer, holidays and vacations bring their own positive and negative changes to your family. Older children usually delight in different schedules that bring extra activities and stimulation as well as a chance to catch up on much-needed sleep. It is harder for younger children to adapt to new routines that often include missed naps, later bedtimes and unfamiliar people and surroundings. Here are some ideas to help your children cope.

1. When possible, stick to routine. If your child always naps or eats lunch at a certain time, try to continue that practice and schedule your outings accordingly. Ask if there is there a quiet room your child can lie down in while visiting relatives. Pack food or make sure you stop for lunch on your child’s schedule.
2. Create a schedule in pictures for your child. Many children become anxious when their routine is disrupted and find looking at a schedule reassuring. Tape photos or pictures from magazines on paper to create a pictorial schedule of the day. If the plan for the day is to take the dog for a walk, meet friends at the park, go to the grocery store, have lunch, take a nap, then go swimming, place those pictures in order and talk through the day with your child. Parents can also benefit from these picture schedules because they can see if they have crammed too many activities into one day, stopping a potential tantrum before it starts.
3. Create a ritual that brings calm. When a child acts out, it is often because he feels overwhelmed and out of control. Research has shown that if a child can focus on a specific activity she is familiar with, she will calm down. Find a soothing activity, like counting down from 15 or listening to soft music, to use during stressful times.
4. Try to avoid overstimulation. Spending all day in a museum, at the beach or at an amusement park is exhausting for adults, much less young children. Look for quiet areas where you can take a break and relax. The best days on a vacation are the ones that include time to return to the hotel for an afternoon swim and a nap – for everyone!