What's Happening at a Glance
- MOSH card night TONIGHT!!!
- New membership campaign coming your way
- Help Wanted: Shir Hadash-style
- Membership forms are due on August 15
- Save the Date: Annual picnic on Saturday, August 18
- It’s not too late to join Lahaka
- Walking in the Sewers of Ancient Jerusalem
- Send in your religious school registration forms
- Madrichim and Havayah information
- Outdoor adventure with Rabbi Eitan
- Calling all Teen Advisory Board members
Creative Worship & Ritual- Friday, August 3: Focus on the National Bone Marrow Registry
- Coming soon: High Holiday forms
- Genetic education and screening program for young adults
Membership and Upcoming Events
MOSH Card Night on July 25
Men of Shir Hadash (MOSH) Card Night will be held on July 25, from 8 to 10 p.m., at Sandi and Lise Schleicher’s house, 2384 Dehne Rd, Northbrook. RSVP to (800) 897-0533; drop-ins are OK, too! Come out and meet some other men from Shir Hadash; talk, have a drink, play some cards, eat, etc. Learn to play hearts, spades, euchre, pinochle, bridge, poker, etc. The games will change based on what everyone wants to play or learn. MOSH will be meeting the fourth Wednesday of every month from 8 to 10 p.m., so if you can’t make it this month, put us in your calendar for next month!
We are marketing our congregation in new and exciting ways as well as some tried and true ones. We have long known that the best way to find new members is through our current members. We also know that our High Holiday services feature Rabbi Eitan, our choir Lahaka, and our congregation at their best. Therefore, we are enlisting your help in finding new members. Next month, you will receive an offer in the mail for you to pass on to your friends, family, and neighbors. The offer will include a coupon that can be redeemed for four High Holiday tickets or $100 off the cost of religious school education, along with promotional material for our synagogue and our religious school. Some restrictions apply; there are a limited number of tickets available, and the voucher cannot be redeemed by current or past members, or those who have purchased High Holiday tickets in the last five years. Our goal is to bring new families into our congregation. We need new members if Shir Hadash is going to thrive. Please pass out the promotional material and voucher to anyone you know who is interested in joining a synagogue.
Help Wanted, Shir Hadash-Style
In order for our congregation to remain vibrant and successful, we need you to volunteer your time and energy. The truth is, we don’t have enough people stepping forward right now to do the work that’s needed to keep our synagogue viable and functioning properly. But it doesn’t have to be a big commitment. Even small acts of volunteerism contribute to our community’s health and well being. Offer to set up the chairs one day or clean up after a service. Staff the bake sale table one Sunday. Take photos at a service or festival. These little mitzvot add up in a big way. The more people who volunteer, the less work it is for everyone. Visit our website to see what volunteer positions are open!
Membership Renewal Forms Due on August 15
The membership renewal forms were mailed on June 28. Please fill them out and return them to our office by August 15. Please call Lillian at (847) 498-8218 if you did not receive the forms.
Save the Date: Annual Picnic on Saturday, August 18
This year, our annual picnic will be held on Saturday August 18, at 4 p.m., Sunset Woods Park, 1801 Sunset Road between Central and Park Avenue West, in Highland Park. Shir Hadash will supply the kosher hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers. Please bring dairy-free side dishes and desserts. Rabbi Eitan will lead a sing-a-long. Sunset Woods Park is lovely and features many fun playgrounds and amenities. Do you have friends, family, or neighbors who are shopping around for a synagogue? Please bring them along so they can see our vibrant community and wonderful rabbi in action! Watch your e-mail for more information on the picnic and how to RSVP.
Join Lahaka for the High Holidays
It is not too late to join Lahaka and be a part of our musical community. Interested members can contact Sandy Weiss at sandy2weiss@gmail.com.
The Rabbi's Corner
July 27-28, 2012 / 8 Av 5772
Shabbat Devarim
Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22 / Haftarah Portion: Isaiah 1:1-27
Erev Tisha B’Av
“Walking in the Sewers of Ancient Jerusalem”
 |
| Rabbi Eitan planning services with the liberal synagogue Shir Hadash in Florence. |
On Saturday evening, the Jewish world will begin the observance of ‘Tisha B’Av,’ a date in the Jewish calendar which commemorates the two destructions of ancient Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians and later by the Romans. For many Jews, these events seem so far off that they bear little meaning to our contemporary lives. For my wife Dawn and me, this year’s observance has added significance.
Earlier this month, while visiting Israel, we had the opportunity to visit the newest excavations in Jerusalem’s City of David. This is where Jerusalem earliest habitations are found. The City of David is…
To read the rest of Rabbi Eitan’s blog, visit The Rabbi's Corner.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Education Update
Send in Your Religious School Registration Forms
The religious school registration forms were due on July 15. Thanks to all of you who sent your registration forms in; it helps us get a great start on the school year. If you are one of families we are waiting for, please send in the pink forms today. Please call Lillian at (847) 498-8218 if you did not receive the forms.
Madrichim (Student Teachers) and Havayah (8th Grade-High School Class) Information
For those of you who have students entering the 8th through 12th grades, watch your snail-mailbox for news regarding two of our most popular programs. The madrichim program, headed by Youth Director Carole Mostow and our head madrichah, Colette Charak, is an opportunity for your son or daughter to work in our school.
The Havayah class is divided into an 8th grade class and a 9th-12th grade class. The 8th graders discuss teen issues…
To read the latest from Education Director Emily Ascher, go to Education Updates.
Teen News
Outdoor Adventure with Rabbi Eitan
We are in the process of planning a cool outdoor adventure with Rabbi Eitan. Details to follow.
Calling All Teen Activity Board Members
TAB members: We need to schedule an August meeting to continue planning our event. Please e-mail Carole Mostow at youth@shir-hadash.org and let her know when you will be available in mid- to late August.
Creative Worship & Ritual
Friday, August 3: Be the Match: The National Bone Marrow Donor Program
 |
| Scarlett Andes discovered this Crusades-era bowl at the Ashkelon dig. She will discuss her experiences on Friday, August 3 |
Our Shabbat service will feature “Be The Match – The National Bone Marrow Donor Registry.” David Howard tells his story of how finding a bone marrow donor saved his son’s life. Howard has become a devoted advocate of the bone marrow registry program. Jennifer Baird, Director of the Chicago District of the National Bone Marrow Donor Program will join us as well.
During the Oneg, Scarlett Andes will tell us about her summer adventure excavating in Israel at the Tel Ashkelon under the direction of famed Harvard Professor Lawrence Stager. Services will be held at 7:30 p.m. at LCHS.
Coming Soon: High Holiday Forms
High Holiday forms are going in the mail this week. Please fill them out and return them to the office as soon as possible. You will also be able to access the forms on our website.
Community Announcements
Genetic Education and Screening Program for Young Adults
Registration opens Monday, August 20, for the Center for Jewish Genetics’ upcoming carrier screening programs for young Jewish adults. The Center offers an expanded panel of 18 disorders, including Tay-Sachs disease, Gaucher disease, and Cystic Fibrosis. Join the Center in October or December 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 or visit http://www.jewishgenetics.org/ to learn more.
Donations
General Fund
- Mia Graff
- Deborah Newberger
- Maury Ettleson
- Debra Burman-Gisby
Youth Group Fund
- Deborah Newberger
- Debra Burman-Gisby
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
- Doug Gessner
- Howard Grill
- Sharon Edwards and Brian Tanenbaum
- Debra Burman-Gisby
Camp Scholarship Fund
- Debra Burman-Gisby
Music Fund
- Bev and Doug Lieberman
SHOP Shir Hadash
Annual Shop Orders Are Now Payable By Credit Card
If every family purchases $400 a month in grocery, gas, or other cards, we can earn over $15,000. Shir Hadash believes that an inability to pay should never be a barrier to membership or education. Special consideration is given to our members when circumstances prevent them from meeting any part of their financial commitment. To offset this consideration and to make up the budgetary deficit, the Board is asking that all members consider making a monthly commitment to using shop gift cards. Purchasing Shop gift cards helps the shul raise much needed funds without spending any more money than you already do for your regular expenses. A complete list of the many gift cards available through this program, along with the percentage the shul earns is available on our website. Orders can be picked up at Sunday school or the Shir Hadash office.
New ScripNow Retailer:
- Best Buy
- Target GiftCards® Are Now Reloadable
