UPCOMING Events

BE PROUD TO PARTICIPATE IN AND SUPPORT THE LGBTQIA+ TASK FORCE

June is Pride Month. It’s a great time to get out and share our support for our diverse and inclusive community. Please join us at these weekend-long, upcoming, and free events. We really are stronger together!

BUFFALO GROVE PRIDE PARADE

Sunday, June 2 | 10:30am

Booth 42

Come march with us in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade! This year’s theme is “Drag Us to the Polls” - hoping to encourage people to register and vote in their local and national elections! We will meet at our assigned spot (42) at 10:30am, and the parade steps off at 11am. We ask each family coming to bring a bag of candy to distribute to parade-goers. Nina Hoffman has blue Or Shalom bags to carry. Register HERE. 

LAKE COUNTY PRIDE FEST

Saturday, June 8 | 2:00pm

Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center

Support Or Shalom and the greater Lake County LGBTQIA+ community at Lake County Pride Fest! The festival runs from 2-10pm, and we will be running a booth there from 2-6pm. Be sure to stop and visit on a terrific, fun day full of entertainment, booths, food, and more!

HAWTHORN PRIDE FEST

Saturday, June 15 | 12:00pm

Hawthorn Mall (Outside by Dave & Buster's)

Hawthorn Mall is hosting its first Pride Fest this year! We will have a booth here, too! Please come support Or Shalom AND your local community.

PRIDE SHABBAT DINNER & SERVICE

Friday, June 21 | 5:00pm dinner, 7:00pm service

Celebrate Pride Shabbat this June hosted by Or Shalom and sponsored by ChiTribe! This event blends the spirit of Shabbat with the values of inclusivity and community, offering a dairy Shabbat dinner and meaningful services. It's a beautiful opportunity to honor diversity within our Jewish community. Registration for dinner is limited to ages 21-39, but service is open to all ages. Register for dinner HERE.

For more information on any of these events, please contact Nina Hoffman.

LGBTQIA+ Task Force

The LGBTQIA+ Task Force was established in 2021, and our purpose is to build on Or Shalom’s mission to meet the diverse needs of our congregants within a caring, inclusive, and supporting environment. Guided by Reform Judaic practices and principles, we aim to fully embrace, equally value, and support all members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We will do so through education and programming initiatives designed to build a sense of acceptance, belonging, and inclusion, in a safe and caring environment.

We meet on the third Tuesday of each month, and work together to attend and create events to ensure all members of the community feel a strong sense of belonging.  Some of the things we have done to date include:

• Hosted Or Shalom’s first Safe Zone training, through LGBTQ+ Center Lake County. Among other things, this training taught us how the words and pronouns we use can make Or Shalom a safe place for others. Watch for Safe Zone window clings to appear at Or Shalom soon!

• Represented Or Shalom at the second annual Lake County PrideFest. It was great to be really seen in our community – we were the only Lake County synagogue there, and we had lots of interest!

• Showed our support of the LGBTQIA+ community and marched in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade. Perfect weather, wonderful togetherness and joy.

• Presented various offerings at Or Shalom’s Pride Shabbat this past June.

• Hosting Mosaic Players' October 15th Performance of  5 Lesbians Eating Quiche, in partnership with Buffalo Grove  Pride and Keshet.

• Sharing at LGBTQIA+ History Month Shabbat on Friday, October 27th. Come learn with us!

• Publishing a book! We need YOUR contributions, be they poetry or essay, short story or limerick, photography or other artwork. Send your questions or contributions to Nina Hoffman or Bill McNulty at OrShalomLGBTQIA [at] gmail [dot] com. 

• Offering a second Safe Zone training experience.

YOUR ideas! We would love to know what programming you, the Or Shalom community, is interested in. Email us at OrShalomLGBTQIA [at] gmail [dot] com to learn more or join the Task Force.