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What’s
Happening at a Glance
Membership and Upcoming Events
- RSVP today! Purim Extravaganza on February 23
- New! Business Mastermind Group meets this Sunday, February 24
- New building tour THIS SUNDAY, February 24
- Share your feedback on the new building
- Save the date for our community Seder, Tuesday, March 26
- April book club
- Last chance to see “The Whipping Man”
- Soup kitchen wrapup
- Purim carnival on February 24
- Upcoming school schedule
.JPG) |
| Shir Hadash “Ta'am
Yisrael - Taste of Israel” participants in Israel earlier this month. Pictured from left to right Back row: Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow (staff), Natalie McCulloh, Drew Gisby, Mollie Zweiban, Ayal Weiner-Kaplow (staff). Front row: Hannah Allen, Jessica Lenhart, Jessica Fisher, Jenna Marvet, Eli Horwitz |
- Madrichim: Confirm your Purim carnival assignments on Sunday morning
- Seussical Midwest Teen Kallah
- National Teen Kallah
- Ta'am Yisrael 2013
Adult Education
Community News
- Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland
Membership and Upcoming Events
RSVP TODAY!!! Purim Extravaganza on February 23!
Shir Hadash is hosting a Purim party for all adults—singles and couples—at Rocky Vander's Cafe, 698 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Prospect Heights (immediately south of Palatine Road), from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, February 23. See friends and make new ones. The party will feature a DJ, dance floor, cash bar, and Italian dinner buffet. Potluck dessert—please bring hamantaschen (prizes given for the best homemade hamentaschen!), and other desserts. We’ll also play party games! Come as you like or as you want. Costumes are encouraged. The cost is $20/person. (Festivities start and run throughout the evening, but if you have to miss dinner, come at 9 p.m. for $10). RSVP TODAY (we need to give the restaurant a head count!) by sending an e-mail to membership@shir-hadash.org or calling Rebecca at (847) 509-9951. Prepayment is appreciated; please send your check to the Shir Hadash office; cash or check only at the door.
New! Business Mastermind Group
The Business Mastermind Group will be meeting on the first Sunday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon while religious school is in session. The mission is to build mutually beneficial relationships with Shir Hadash small business owners by providing value to other group members. Each meeting will feature a topic of interest that everyone agrees is important. We will focus on that topic for the whole meeting where everyone provides examples of their experiences as related to the topic. At the first meeting, the group will pick a list of topics. Each meeting will start with brief introductions of everyone in the group. In this way, new people are always invited and will feel comfortable attending. For more information, contact Dan Wellisch at danw@wellsoftware.com.
New Building Tour THIS SUNDAY, February 24
As a result of the growing interest and excitement around the building, we have received a number of requests to view the building from members and prospective families who were not able to attend our recent Town Hall. We will be scheduling periodic tours to accommodate this new demand.
Our next tour is scheduled for this Sunday morning, February 24, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The address is 200 W. Dundee Road in Wheeling. So drop your kids off at religious school and head to the new building for a tour! You’ll be done in plenty of time to get back to the school for the Purim Carnival at 11:05 a.m. Shir Hadash President Jeffrey Wallk and other members of our Board will be there to show you around.
Share Your Feedback on the New Building
Check out the plans for our new building! We want to hear from you about our new building! Let us know what you think! Please e-mail your thoughts to Shir Hadash President Jeffrey Wallk at president@shir-hadash.org. If you would like to talk in person, please come by for a tour this Sunday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Thanks!
Save the Date for Our Community Seder
This year, our community seder will be held on Tuesday, March 26, at Our Lady of the Brook.
Details soon to follow. Contact Melanie Andes at fmandes@comcast.net or (847) 913-9198 if you have any questions.
April Book Club
Our next book club meeting will be held in April. We are reading Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. We are seeking a host to sponser the book club at their home. Please contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
Last Chance to See “The Whipping Man”
"The Whipping Man" at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie runs through Sunday February 24. “The Whipping Man” takes place immediately after the end of the Civil War. When Caleb, a wounded Confederate soldier, returns home, he finds his family’s home in ruins and abandoned by all but two former slaves. United by their Jewish faith, the three men celebrate Passover while wrestling with a shared past they cannot escape. They unravel a tangle of secrets that threaten their family and faith. Slavery and war, they discover, warp even good men’s souls. The playwrite, Matthew Lopez, won the 2011 NY John Gassner Playwriting Award by the NY Outer Critics Circle for this play. Members’ reviews have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic—“Fabulous", "Insightlful", "Not to be missed.” We will hold a discussion about the relationship of Jews and Slavery in the American South in the next few weeks.
Soup Kitchen Wrapup
On February 17, Shir Hadash participated in preparing, cooking, and serving more than 90 meals to needy individuals and families as part of the St Paul’s Lutheran Church soup kitchen in Evanston. We had more than 25 volunteers of all ages who helped prepare the meals. Shir Hadash served a variety of hot dishes including several kinds of chicken, pasta, mostaccioli, casseroles, vegetables and desserts. In addition to preparing the hot meals, volunteers also made sack lunch meals that guests could take with them as they left to help get them to their next meal. It is always great to serve at this soup kitchen because there is no age restriction so young children are able to help right alongside the adults. Shir Hadash serves twice a year at the St. Paul's soup kitchen. We will serve again this coming fall. Please contact Mark Lenhart at mjlenhart@comcast.net with any questions.
Education Update
Join in the fun with your children. This year’s Purim carnival will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hellenic American Academy on Sunday, February 24. We will have a regular school morning from 9:15 to 11 a.m., followed by a Purim carnival complete with a Purim spiel. The madrichim (teen leaders), led by Purim Specialist Nat Arons, have been preparing this great day for several weeks. They have games and treats geared for boys and girls of all ages. In order to make the day an even grander celebration, please send your child (and perhaps yourself) in costume.
Friday, March 1: Pizza Dinner for K through 3rd Graders!
Please mark your calendars for a good time with families from the Shir Hadash primary grades Gan (Kindergarten) through 3rd grade. The children always have a great time helping Rabbi Eitan lead services, and who can turn down the opportunity to celebrate shabbat with a such lovely group of people?! Services will be held at LCHS. Stay tuned for more information!
Upcoming School Schedule
- Sunday, February 24: Purim Carnival, 11:05 a.m.
- Friday, March 1: Pizza dinner and Shabbat services will be led by grades K through 3, LCHS
- Monday, April 1: Havayah (high school class)
- Sunday, April 7: 7th Graders Present: Yom Hashoah Service at Sunday School
- Sunday, April 14: Sunday School
- Monday, April 15: Havayah
- Sunday, April 21: Yom Tikkun Olam (Day to Repair the World) No school at Hellenic American Academy
- Sunday, April 28: Sunday School Open House for Prospective Members
- Monday, April 29: Last Day of Havayah BBQ
- Sunday, May 5: Last Day of Sunday School
- Friday, May 17: Shabbat services will be led by our Havayah
Teen News
Please remember to check in with Nat when you arrive at Sunday school this Sunday, February 24, to confirm your Purim carnival assignments. Thanks!
Seussical Midwest Regional Kallah
Oh, the places Jews’ll Go: Dr. Seuss was the theme for the 2013 Midwest Regional Kallah and what fun the teens had with the weekend! This year, more than 60 participants from five congregations in the Midwest gathered at the Perlman Retreat Center in Wisconsin. Kids from 6th through 12th grade joined together for a weekend retreat that highlighted programming created by a group of high school teen leaders who have been planning the weekend events for almost a year. Woven throughout Shabbat and beyond, the teens created programs to explore Reconstructionist Jewish values centered around the books, poetry, and movies of Dr. Seuss. Whether they were softly singling Kabbalat Shabbat melodies or dancing to Thriller, the teens connected to Judaism and each other, and explored their Jewish identities. Everyone loved every minute of the Kallah—until it was time to board the buses and say goodbye until next year.
National Teen Kallah
The weekend of March 22-24, 8th through 12th graders from Reconstructionist congregations across North America will have the opportunity to attend the exciting No'ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah, which will be held this year in Boston. This amazing weekend will be a great opportunity for you to meet other teens, have fun, take part in experiential Jewish learning, laugh at an improv comedy show, sing and dance, hang out, explore Boston, and be part of our exciting youth movement. Please contact info@campjrf.org or youth@shir-hadash.org for an application.
Ta’am Yisrael 2013
Eight Shir Hadash 8th graders joined 162 other Chicago teens in this year’s Ta’am Yisrael: Taste of Israel trip from January 28 through February 5. Rabbi Eitan and Ayal Weiner-Kaplow joined as staff members on the adventure. The goal of Ta’am Yisrael is to provide an intense and meaningful experience in the Land of Israel that will create a firm and lasting foundation of Jewish identity for our young teens. Ta’am graduates often become leaders in the Jewish community. Highlights of Ta’am Yisrael include:
- Shabbat in Jerusalem
- The Kotel and Jerusalem’s Old City
- Climbing Masada
- Swimming in the Dead Sea
- Beit Guvrin/Archeological Dig
- Activities with Israeli youth
- Bedouin Tent experience
- Jeep Rides in the desert
- Yad Vashem(Israel’s National Holocaust Memorial)
- Ammunition Hill
- Na Laga’at deaf-blind theater company
- An evening desert experience
Creative Worship & Ritual
After a
pizza dinner at 6:15, join us for a very special program on Friday, March 1 (7:15 at LCHS), led by the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
graders in our Religious School. Our students have been hard at work learning
their prayers, and now they get the chance to recite them in a real service. Of
course, there will also be singing and storytelling - and don't forget to bring
something for the pot-luck oneg! This service is for everyone—the kids, their
families and friends, and everyone else who enjoys sharing a Friday night with
Shir Hadash—don't miss it!
Adult Education
“The Lord Has Given You These Fifteen <<crash>>; Ten, Ten Commandments!”
This week at Torah class (9:30 on Sunday at
Hellenic), we get to that part of the Exodus story that everyone THINKS they
know: the Jews are at Mount Sinai, and Moses goes up, doesn't come down for a
while, they build the Golden Calf, he comes down with the tablets and is VERY
unhappy... But in the book, it's not entirely the same as in the movie. So come
to class, study the portion, and hear the REAL story! See you then!
The Rabbi’s
Corner
February 22-23, 2013 / 13 Adar 5773
Shabbat Tetzaveh - Zachor
Torah - Exodus 27:20-30:10 & Deuteronomy
25:17-19
Haftarah – I Samuel 15:2-34
“Light,
Happiness, Celebration and Prosperity”
Dear
Friends,
This
Saturday evening through Sunday we will join in celebrating Purim, the
spring-fever festival of deliverance from the evil Haman of Persia. A special
Torah reading is added for this Shabbat morning to remind us never to forget
the cruel acts of the tribe of Amalek, the ancestors of Haman who terrorized
our Hebrew ancestors as they journeyed through the Sinai desert towards the
Promised Land.
Despite all
the silly shpiels, graggers and raucous merrymaking, Purim has become a key
piece of our identity as it has developed since the end of World War II. The
Holocaust, anti-Semitism and Arab loathing of Jews have been held as a central
reason for Jewish continuity. For decades, we have been taught to be Jewish
because so many hate us throughout the world. Purim and the Holocaust…
Community
News
Is your child gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, or questioning? Do you want to talk to other Jewish families with LGBTQ children? If so, join the monthly discussions with Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland. Upcoming meetings will be held on March 11, April 22, and May 20. Upcoming topics will include: transgender youth; passing--who knows, who doesn’t know; navigating a hetero-sexist world; healthy relationships and violence in the GLBTQ community; and conversation about creating inclusive communities.
On Monday, February 25, the group will be discussing Gender Identity and the “Trans* Umbrella,” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Response, 9304 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. Contact Rachel Marro at RachelMarro@jcfs.org to RSVP.
With support from Keshet
(www.keshetonline.org), Response provides group support for those dealing with
any stage of the coming out process. Response helps adolescents in the Jewish and
general community develop skills in communication, decision-making and
leadership necessary to deal with life’s challenges. Response is a program of
JCFS, a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United
Fund/Jewish Federation.
SHOP
Shir Hadash
SHOP orders of at least $400 are now payable by credit card. Annual SHOP orders are also payable by credit card. If every family purchases $400 a month in grocery, gas, or other cards, we can earn more than $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.
Families can now purchase and print Restaurants Unlimited eCards on ShopWithScrip®for a 6% non-profit contribution. These eCards can be printed out and redeemed at any of Restaurants Unlimited's nationwide locations. Click here to find a restaurant near you, or click here to order your Restaurants Unlimited ScripNow! eCard.
Remember, using ScripNow is simple:
- To order, visit any of the brand pages for Restaurants Unlimited brands on ShopWithScrip.com and select the ScripNow product choice.
- Order your ScripNow in $10 increments from $10 to $500.
- Pay with PrestoPay™ to print your ScripNow in minutes.
- Or, pay by check to have your coordinator release your order.
- Receive an email when your eCard is available on your ShopWithScrip.com account.
- Click on View ScripNow from your Family Home page to view and print your eCard.
- Adidas
- Estes-Goldman
- Wexler
- Elfant
- Zwick
- Weiner-Kaplow
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