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