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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

June 13, 2012

To view this blog in its entirety, go to SH Connections on our new website!

What's Happening at a Glance

Social Events and Membership
  • Check out our revamped website

The Rabbi's Corner
  • Courage & Fear

Teen News
  • Manning the soda station at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival

Creative Worship & Ritual
  • Friday, June 15: Find out about the Incident of the Twelve Spies
  • Friday, June 29: SH welcomes a representative from J Street
Adult Education
  • Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursday, June 14
  • Torah study, Sunday, June 17
Community Events
  • Shir Hadash rocked the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival

Social Events and Membership

Check Out Our Revamped Website
Just a quick reminder that we have migrated to our new website and website provider. This move will save us thousands of dollars every year. Please check out our new blogs for the Shir Hadash Weekly Bulletin; The Rabbi's Corner, where you will be able to read Rabbi Eitan’s weekly parsha; Education Updates from Education Director Emily Ascher, where parents and students will be able to reference any announcements they might have missed; and Worship Announcements, where you'll be able to find the announcements for upcoming shabbat services and holiday events. We'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions for how to make the website work even better for you, so please e-mail Jeff Walk with any suggestions at president@shir-hadash.org.

The Rabbi's Corner
June 15-16, 2012 / 26 Sivan 5772
Shabbat Shlach Lecha
Torah Portion: Numbers 13:1-15:41 / Haftarah Portion: Joshua 2:1-24
“Courage & Fear”

Dear Friends,

Winnie the Pooh’s Piglet character frequently says, “It’s hard to be brave when you are only a very small animal.” So it is. That’s life. We often feel fearful and small in the presence of events that overwhelm. Yet, even when we fear, we must be brave.

In this week’s Torah portion, twelve spies are sent out by Moses to survey the Land of Israel. They are to bring back a report so that the Children of Israel can prepare to enter the Land. When the twelve spies return, ten are filled with fear and dread. They frighten the people into a near rebellion against Moses such that the people want to go back to Egypt. Only two spies, Joshua and Calev, remain strong, positive and resolute. They…

To read the rest of Rabbi Eitan’s blog, visit The Rabbi's Corner.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

Teen News

A big thank you to Alek, Dasha, and David who helped out during a Shabbat at Home Friday night dinner. The kids loved having you to play with and the Rabbi appreciated the adult time he could spend with the parents.

Another thank you to our Chicago Jewish Festival teen (and parent) volunteers. Soda was a much needed commodity during the hot Sunday afternoon and your efforts on behalf of the festival are what makes it all possible.The festival is dependent upon volunteers like you to make who make it work. Adam, David, Joy, Lauren, and Sandy: THANK YOU!

Teen Board members: Remember to send Carole Mostow your summer schedules. We want to keep working on our fundraiser over the summer. Look for more e-mails from youth@shir-hadash.org directed to TAB members. 

Creative Worship & Ritual

June 15 Service: “BeShalach—When You Go Forth”
Our June 15 service will include a special Torah Reading about the Incident of the Twelve Spies. Members will stage a dramatic skit about the portion, too. Rabbi Weiner-Kaplow will teach about the significance of the tzitzit fringe on the tallit prayer shawl. Finally, we will bless our children heading off to summer camp and Israel. If you’ve ever wanted to be a spy, now’s your chance—to participate in the skit, please send an e-mail to cwr@shir-hadash.org. Also, we'll be seeing Rabbi Eitan off before he heads to Italy (did you know that he’ll be visiting the Shir Hadash congregation in Florence?) and Israel.

June 29 Service Features a Representative from J Street
A representative of J Street will be coming to talk to us about Israel and peace issues. For more information about J Street, go to www.jstreet.org.

Adult Education

Torah study with the Rabbi on Thursday, June 14, from 12 to 1 at the Shir Hadash office. The theme and Torah verses that we will be studying this week: Numbers 13:1-14:10

Torah class will meet on Sunday, June 17, at the Shir Hadash office.

Call for Volunteers

Wanted: Webmaster
We are looking for someone to maintain our Shir Hadash website. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Jeff Wallk at jeffrey.wallk@gmail.com.

Mitzvah Committee
We're looking for more Shiva leaders (adults and yes, even Havayah kids). If you are interested, please contact Bob Roiter at bob.roiter@sbcglobalnet.net.

Community Events

Shir Hadash Rocks the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival
This year’s Greater Chicago Jewish Festival was held last Sunday, June 10, and lived up to its reputation as a premier event. Everyone enjoyed amazing music, including Steven Page of The Bare Naked Ladies, Blue Fringe, Rabbi Joe Black, and too many more to mention. The Kosher food fair featured Kosher Chinese, Falafel, Pizza, Ice Cream, Shwarma, and Italian Ice. Other highlights included a petting zoo, art fair, Israeli dancing, and a Debbie Friedman tribute sing along.

Once again Shir Hadash played a big part. Rabbi Eitan and Dawn are members of the festival’s steering committee. You could see them in their orange shirts all over the grounds. Rabbi Eitan managed the family stage, making sure all the groups got on and off on time and had what they needed to put on a fabulous show. The family stage featured everything from a rock-singing rabbi to a Jewish puppeteer.

Shir Hadash had a table in the organization fair that got lots of traffic. Shir Hadashniks Lynne Arons, Fred and Melanie Andes, Marc and Julia Fargotstein, Marilynn Singer, and Sandy Weiss all took a shift, letting the community know all about what we do, and what makes us so special. We shared our table with Gevurot. Amram Abraham and Shareene Beardon came to hand out their information, and meet new people. Lauren Tashma, and Sandy Weiss helped Shir Hadash teens David Anes, Adam Weiss, Alek Kopulsky, and Dasha Kopulsky staff one of the beverage tents at the fair. It just happened to be the busiest one! And loads of Shir Hadashniks were at the fair and stopped by to say hello, including the Siegel family, Joy Anes, The Lenharts, the Wexlers, and more. Thanks to everyone who staffed our booth and beverage tent and attended the festival.

Donations

Thank you for the following donation to our synagogue!

Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund
  • Beth Martin Klauba in honor of Rabbi Eitan, Elana Weiner-Kaplow, and Joan and Ellie Hakimi for rescuing and caring for Beth's puppy.

SHOP Shir Hadash

Shop for Dad
Celebrate Dad with Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bath and Body Works; Bed, Bath, and Beyond; Dicks; Great Clips; REI; Sports Authority; Target; Walmart/Sam’s; Fanny May; Best Buy; Home Depot; Darden and Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. Lettuce Entertain You restaurants are now available for purchase by credit card.

Save time and support Shir Hadash. Order gift cards instead of shopping for gifts. Dine out with gift cards. Just give us a click or call. Remember, Shop raises money for the congregation and you don't spend a dime more than you would have anyway! For more information on any these great programs, contact Lise at info@basketworks.biz, or Gina at gzinbarg@sbcglobal.net, or visit our website.

Thanks to the following families for supporting SHOP this week:
  • Schleicher
  • Joanne Litman

Retailer & Product Update
June 9, 2012, through June 22, 2012, there will be a great 2% bonus rebate on AMC Theatres® Gift Cards and Reload, Cinemark Theatres Gift Cards, and Regal Entertainment Group Gift Cards and variable denomination ScripNow

Welcome New ScriptNow Retailers
  • Marriott 
  • The Ritz-Carlton 
  • Red Robin

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

June 6, 2012

To view this blog in its entirety, go to SH Connections on our new website!

What's Happening at a Glance

Social Events and Membership
  • Check out our revamped website
  • Please help us staff our booth at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival
The Rabbi's Corner
  • Give Thanks
Education Update
  • Hello from Education Director Emily Ascher
Teen News
  • Volunteer at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival
Creative Worship & Ritual
  • Friday: June 15: Special Torah service with a skit about the twelve spies
  • Find out what happened when AIPAC came to Shir Hadash
  • Friday: June 29: A representative from J Street visits Shir Hadash
Adult Education
  • Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursday, June 7
Community Events
  • Greater Chicago Jewish Festival, Sunday, June 10
  • Genetic Education and Screening Program

Social Events and Membership

Check Out Our Revamped Website
Just a quick reminder that we have migrated to our new website and website provider. This move will save us thousands of dollars every year. Please check out our new blogs for the Shir Hadash Weekly Bulletin; The Rabbi's Corner, where you will be able to read Rabbi Eitan’s weekly parsha; Education Updates from Education Director Emily Ascher, where parents and students will be able to reference any announcements they might have missed; and Worship Announcements, where you'll be able to find the announcements for upcoming shabbat services and holiday events. We'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions for how to make the website work even better for you, so please e-mail Jeff Walk with any suggestions at president@shir-hadash.org.

Please Help Us Staff Our Booth at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival
The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival is this Sunday, June 10, at St. Paul Woods, Morton Grove. It will have three stages with music, dance, and storytelling; a family stage; a kosher food fair; an art fair; and an organization fair. The fair will take place between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. We will have a table and need people to staff. We will be sharing our table with Amram Abraham and his Congregation Gevurot. The first shift is 10 a.m. to noon—this is the set up shift, so you need to arrive at 10 and put out our brochures, set up the posters, and be ready to smile. Other shifts are noon to 2 p.m., 2 to 4 p.m., and 4 to 6 p.m. The 4 to 6 p.m. shift will pack up. Please e-mail Lynne Arons and let her know what shift you are signing up for: RzlDzl122@aol.com.

The Rabbi's Corner

June 8-9, 2012 / 19 Sivan 5772
Shabbat Beha’alotecha
Torah Portion:  Numbers 8:1-12:16 / Haftarah Portion: Zecharia 2:14-4:7
“Give Thanks”

Dear Friends,

In this week’s Torah portion the Children of Israel, respond to their new freedom in the wilderness… by complaining about the food.  They actually weep in disappointment and pine for the ‘good old days’ in Egypt when food was plenty and life was ‘so good.’  They couldn’t get over temporary inconveniences to realize how truly fortunate they really were.

We are a lot like our ancestors.  We move so fast and deal with so much stress and overload that we rarely can see the blessings and the abundance all around us…
To read the rest of Rabbi Eitan’s blog, visit The Rabbi's Corner.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

Education Update

Hi Shir Hadash Parents,

Just want to let you know the staff and I are enjoying the summer, but we are always thinking of ways to inspire your children.  We would love to plan a summer get together for our families, and need some help. If you are interested in spending about an hour in the office in the last week of June making some phone calls, please let me know. Off to Cooperstown for some middle school baseball...

I miss your children,

Emily Ascher
Education Director

To read more from Education Director Emily Ascher, go to Education Updates.

Teen News

Volunteer Opportunity for Teens (and Their Families)
The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival will be held on Sunday, June 10, at St. Paul Woods, Morton Grove. It will have three stages with music, dance, and storytelling; a family stage; a kosher food fair; an art fair; and an organization fair. The fair will take place between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. We have a volunteer slot from 3 to 5 p.m. to sell soda. Volunteering is open to teens, adults, and kids (with parental supervision). We still need more volunteers. Please send an e-mail with your name and t-shirt size to youth@shir-hadash.org.

Creative Worship & Ritual

June 15 Service: “BeShalach—When You Go Forth”
Our June 15 service will include a special Torah Reading about the Incident of the Twelve Spies. Members will stage a dramatic skit about the portion, too. Rabbi Weiner-Kaplow will teach about the significance of the tzitzit fringe on the tallit prayer shawl. Finally, we will bless our children heading off to summer camp and Israel. If you’ve ever wanted to be a spy, now’s your chance—to participate in the skit, please send an e-mail to cwr@shir-hadash.org. Also, we'll be seeing Rabbi Eitan off before he heads to Italy (did you know that he’ll be visiting the Shir Hadash congregation in Florence?) and Israel.

June 29 Service Features a Representative from J Street
A representative of J Street will be coming to talk to us about Israel and peace issues. For more information about J Street, go to http://www.jstreet.org/

AIPAC at Shir Hadash
We had a wonderful service last Friday, June 1, enriched by our guest speaker, Susan Brent Millner, Leadership Management Director in AIPAC's Chicago office. Susan talked about “Why Israel Matters,” described AIPAC's activities, and answered questions from the members about  current events in Israel and the Middle East.

Adult Education

Torah study with the Rabbi on Thursday, May 31, from 12 to 1 at the Shir Hadash office. The theme and Torah verses that we will be studying this week: Numbers 13:1-14:10
There will be adult education classes this weekend; date and time to be announced.

Call for Volunteers

Wanted: Webmaster
We are looking for someone to maintain our Shir Hadash website. If you are interested in helping out, please contact eff Wallk at jeffrey.wallk@gmail.com.

Mitzvah Committee
We're looking for more Shiva leaders (adults and yes, even Havayah kids). If you are interested, please contact Bob Roiter at bob.roiter@sbcglobalnet.net 

Get Involved with the Spring Membership Drive
We're planning a lot of activities this spring to expand our membership. If you're interested in helping us grow, please call the office and ask for Lillian (847) 498-8218.

Community Events

Greater Chicago Jewish Festival
The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival will be held on Sunday, June 10, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The festival will feature Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies, Blue Fringe, and Soul Aviv, along with a juried art fair, kosher food court, children's activities, and an organization fair. We are planning to have a Shir Hadash booth, so stay tuned for details, including how to sign up to volunteer at the booth!

PERFORMER UPDATE: The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival has now released its musical, storytelling, and dance line up. Along with Steven Page, Blue Fringe, and Soul Aviv, other performers will include Chicago native Rabbi Joe Black from Colorado, who moves from liturgical music of the heart to children's music of the funny bone; Moshe Skier from Milwaukee; Jewish blues performer Saul Kaye from California; Chicago based Lucky Break Bluegrass; the Maxwell Street Klezmer Band; the Chicken Fat Klezmer Band; Ed Holstein, part of the legendary Chicago folk music scene; Steve Justman, who continues the Chicago folk music tradition, will focus his performance on Jewish song writers for the Festival. Other performers include storytellers, comedy, a children’s choir, a Yiddish choir, an Israeli dance troupe, jazz, and a puppeteer.

The festival will be held at the Cook County Forest Preserve, St. Paul Woods, Oakton Street west of Lehigh. There is plenty of parking on site. A $5 per person donation is suggested. For more information, go to www.jewishfestival.org/ or call (847) 933-3000.

Genetic Education and Screening Program
Registration is underway for the Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders upcoming screening programs for young Jewish adults. The Center is now offering an expanded panel of 18 disorders. Join the Center in June or August for a subsidized screening program ($180 per person), which includes an educational presentation, dinner, and screening. These tests usually cost more than $3,000! Pre-registration is required. Please contact Taryn Brickman at tarynbrickman@juf.org to learn more or visit http://www.jewishgenetics.org/.

SHOP Shir Hadash

Shop for Dads, Grads, and Teachers
Celebrate Dads, Grads, and Teachers with Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Bath and Body Works; Bed, Bath, and Beyond; Dicks; Great Clips; REI; Sports Authority; Target; Walmart/Sam’s; Fanny May; Best Buy; Home Depot; Darden and Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. Lettuce Entertain You restaurants are now available for purchase by credit card.

Save time and support Shir Hadash. Order gift cards instead of shopping for gifts. Dine out with gift cards. Just give us a click or call. Remember, Shop raises money for the congregation and you don't spend a dime more than you would have anyway! For more information on any these great programs, contact Lise at info@basketworks.biz, or Gina at gzinbarg@sbcglobal.net, or visit our website.

Thanks to the following families for supporting SHOP this week:
  • Schliecher
  • Litman
Retailer & Product Update
  • June 9, 2012, through June 22, 2012, there will be a great 2% bonus rebate on AMC Theatres® Gift Cards and Reload, Cinemark Theatres Gift Cards, and Regal Entertainment Group Gift Cards and variable denomination ScripNow
  • Save up to 60% at Babies’R’Us Online Clearance Store
  • Check out the Pier 1 Idea Room and their Special Savings and Clearance items
Welcome New Retailer
  • Ruth's Chris Steakhouse