To view this blog in its entirety, go to our website.
For daily event updates, visit our calendar.
What’s Happening at a Glance
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts
- April Book Club: Everything is Illuminated, April 25
- Shir Hadash Annual Meeting, May 5
- On the Way: New Membership Management Program
Education Update
- Upcoming School Schedule
- Religious School Open House, April 28
- Yom Tikkun Olam Recap
Teen News
- Madrichim Meetings, April 28 and May 5
- JUF Teen Engagement Fair Changed to April 28
- Murder Mystery Party with JRC, May 11
Creative Worship & Ritual
- May 3 Shabbat: “Creating Room in God’s House: Judaism and Special Needs”
Adult Education
- April 28: "The Rabbi Who Walked With Martin Luther King, Jr."
The Rabbi’s Corner: “Saving Lives”
Community News
- Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland
- JUF Israel Solidarity Day, April 28
Donations
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
Construction Update
On April 13, the Shir Hadash board signed a contract to
officially hire as our architect the firm of Maemar PC, led by Shir Hadash
member Mehran Farahmandpour. The team is moving forward with bidding for
construction of our Phase 1 plan for the synagogue.
Sandi Schleicher will serve as liaison between Maemar PC and
the membership/board of Shir Hadash. If you have questions, comments, or
concerns regarding the architecture or design, construction, the general
contractor, sub-contractors, etc., please contact Sandi at
finance@shir-hadash.org and he will address concerns with the architect,
building committee, or GC as appropriate.
If you have ideas or skills to share, want to volunteer for
a committee, or help with planning, managing, or maintaining the building or
grounds, we would love to hear from you. Please direct your good
intentions to the chairman of the building steering committee, Marc Fargotstein
(marcfargo@triangleconsulting.net).
Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts
Celebrate our new home – and let your friends know you love
Shir Hadash – with a “Shalom to
Our New Home” t-shirt! These white shirts have the graphic you see pictured
here on the front, and our official logo on the back. They are available in
men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes for $10. To order, contact Lisa McCulloh,
847-814-2922 or jjlisamc@gmail.com.
Book Club
The next Book Club will be held TONIGHT, April 25 at 7:30pm,
at the home of Stacy Laner, 1047 Shambliss Court, Buffalo Grove. The book will
be Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. Whether you read
the book, saw the recent production of the play at The Next Theatre, or viewed
the movie with Elijah Wood, come and discuss it with us. There are many
questions specific to the book and specific to life that will be
entertained.Also we will have a guest coming with a connection to
Trachimmbrod!!!!
Please RSVP for the event this week. To RSVP or for more
information, contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com
Coming Soon: New Membership Management Program
Shir Hadash is planning to purchase a membership management
package that will provide our members with online forms to simplify membership
renewals and education signup, and also improve enrollment of volunteers for
events. Members will be able to maintain customized profiles for
themselves and their family members, with the capacity to capture their
Yahrzeit and lifecycle events in one place. Please look for future
announcements about these new services in the next few weeks and months. If you
have questions, please contact Jeff Wallk at president@shir-hadash.org or Lise
Schleicher at info@basketworks.biz.
Education Update
Upcoming Events at School
Sunday, April 28-- Sunday School, Prospective Member Open
House
Monday, April 29--Havayah BBQ at David Anes's House
Sunday, May 5-- Last day of Sunday school
Religious School Open House
Do you have any friends who are shopping around for a
religious school for their children? If so, please invite them to our Religious
School Open House on Sunday, April 28, at 11:30. Be sure to tell them about our
fantastic, innovative once-a-week school – not to mention our beautiful new
building. For more information, contact Education Director Emily Ascher at
eddirector@shir-hadash.org.
Yom Tikkun Olam: A Day to Repair the World
On Sunday, April; 21st, about 25 families joined together
for Shir Hadash’s 8th annual Yom Tikkun Olam (Day to Repair the World).
Families chose projects to help the elderly, the
environment, the soldiers, teachers who need books for inner city classrooms,
and those who are in general need. Locations ranged from Glenview,
Northbrook, Deerfield and Chicago.
Participants made kosher gift bags and cards for Jewish
soldiers, played bingo and schmoozed with the seniors at Gidwitz, planted trees
at The Grove, and brought food and toiletries to The Ark in Chicago. They also
donated books and clothing.
The planning for Yom Tikkun Olam started many months ago. The amount of
work involved in making it happen was way more than any of us on the education
committee anticipated. With the help of the committee and in particular,
Emilee McArdle, Dawn Allen, and 7th grade teacher, Judith Kleinman, we
were able to put together a day that not only helped heal the world, but that
brought our community together. Next year we look forward to housing many
activities in our building.
Thank you to everyone involved! If you would like to volunteer to serve on the 2013 – 2014 Yom Tikkun Olam committee, please contact Education Director Emily Ascher at eddirector@shir-hadash.org.
Teen News
Teen Engagement Fair, April 28
Note: New Date, Time & Place!
The JUF Teen Engagement Fair will now be part of Israel Solidarity Day on THIS
SUNDAY, April 28. This is a great event for 7th and 8th graders
and their families to show you how Jewish life really begins AFTER your b’nai
mitzvah, with travel opportunities, organizations, programs and more. Plus
they’ll have raffles, information, and lots of other activities. To learn more
and RSVP, visit http://juf.org/teen.
Scroll down to “Community News” for detailed info on JUF’s
Israel Solidarity Day.
Madrichim
We will have 2 more meetings this year! Meet on
Sunday, April 28th at 8:45 a.m. to talk about the Open House event scheduled
for Sunday School on April 28th. We will also meet on Sunday, May 5th to
review the year.
Teen Event with JRC
8th to 12th Graders: You are invited
to a MURDER MYSTERY DINNER. Will you be the witness, the victim or even the
killer?
We will join the 8th-12th graders at JRC to participate as the drama unfolds around us. We will also enjoy a feast from Pita Inn while we solve the mystery.
We will join the 8th-12th graders at JRC to participate as the drama unfolds around us. We will also enjoy a feast from Pita Inn while we solve the mystery.
Details--
Date: Saturday, May 11th
Date: Saturday, May 11th
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Place: JRC, 303 Dodge, Evanston
R.S.V.P. required: youth@shir-hadash.org We have a limited
number of places available, so please R.S.V.P. A.S.A.P!
Just Announced: Fountainheads concert!
Chicagoland Jewish High School
1095 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield
Tuesday, April 30th @ 7pm
Tickets are $5/advanced and
$10/door
To purchase in advance
(recommended) visit: cfje.wufoo.com/forms/foundtainheads-concert.
Don't miss the experience of being with young Israeli
singers, dancers, and musicians, all of whom are either students or graduates
of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership. The Institution, located just outside
Jerusalem, is a unique forum for developing young minds that brings together
Jews from all backgrounds for a course of study that turns them into a new
generation of Zionist leaders. Their material is primarily pop songs with lyrics
centering around the theme of a specific holiday. Attractive, fresh-faced,
wholesome and fun-loving, they convey a positive image and clear lyrics
conveying Jewish content that feels like a sort of contemporary Jewish
"Free to be You and Me." The Fountainheads have succeeded in creating
a sort of video midrash that has made their material a useful educational aide
in the classroom. Their performance is engaging and appropriate for audiences
of all ages, including children, young families, and teens.
Creative Worship & Ritual
May 3: Service: “Creating Room in God’s House: Judaism and
Special Needs”
On Friday, May 3, our Shabbat service (7:30 at the
synagogue, 200 West Dundee in Wheeling) will include a program that fits
closely with Shir Hadash’s basic themes of community and caring. First, we will watch a moving (but
brief) video documentary by Ilana Trachtenberg, filmmaker of the stirring movie
Praying with Lior (which we have
watched on Selichot). the video addreses efforts of a mosque, a church, and a
synagogue to open the worship experience to individuals and families with
special needs. Following the screening, Shir Hadash members with personal and
professional experience in the world of special needs will engage the community
through a panel discussion. We are confident that all members of the community
will find this program to be both fascinating and powerful. Don’t miss it – and
don’t forget to bring something for the oneg!
Adult Education
.
Adult Ed: Study the Rabbi Who Walked with Martin Luther King
This week in Adult Ed (9:30 on Sunday at Hellenic), we
continue our discussion of modern Jewish thinkers, with one who connects to
events that many of us remember.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel walked with Reverend King - something that
Heschel referred to as "praying with my legs." He combined this concern for social
justice with a profound Jewish faith in God and His world. How else could he say this: "I say
that this world in itself is so fascinatingly mysterious, so challengingly
marvelous, that not to realize that there is more than I see, that there is
endlessly more than I can express or even conceive, is just being
underdeveloped intellectually."
And there is even a story about him and Santa Claus. Don't you want to learn more about Rabbi Heschel now? Well, come to class on Sunday... And
before you do (or even if you can't make it), you HAVE to check out this
collection of great Heschel quotes . See you Sunday!
The Rabbi’s Corner
April 26-27, 2013 / 17 Iyar 5773
Day 32 of the Omer
Shabbat Emor
Torah Portion: Leviticus 21:1-24:23 / Haftarah
Portion: Ezekiel 44: 15-31
“Saving Lives”
Dear Friends,
Kol Hakavod – All Honor to Ken and Dan Hechtman – true
heroes of our Chicago Jewish community. The brothers are co-owners
of Ken’s Diner, a great kosher hot dog and burger restaurant on Dempster in
Skokie. On Sunday evening they witnessed a terrible truck and car
collision on the Edens Expressway that erupted in flames as gas tanks ruptured
and tires exploded. Despite the heat and the flames, both stopped
traffic and ran towards the wreck to help. They saved the lives of
everyone in the crash.
What a story! What an inspiration! Two
Jewish men put their own lives at risk to save the lives of
others. For me, this is all about responding to the call of duty
whenever it is heard. It is about acting in the service of others….
To read the rest of The Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website.
Donations
General Fund:
- Debra Noparstak
- Dr. Robert and Beth Tucker, in memory of Florine Lesht
- Michelle and Alex Goldin, in honor of daughter Melissa's Bat Mitzvah
- Lauren and Doug Tashma
- in memory of Florine Lesht, mother of Carol Mostow
- in appreciation of Rabbi Eitan's help with Erica's Bat Mitzvah
Community News
Israel Solidarity Day
JUF is hosting its annual Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration at the
2013 Israel Solidarity Day, which will be held on Sunday, April 28th at Ravinia
Festival in Highland Park. Event
highlights will include the Walk with Israel, fabulous all-day entertainment in
Ravinia’s Pavilion featuring the King David Drummers, The Maccabeats and
Matisyahu - acoustic, food for purchase and festivities for all ages.
The day’s agenda is as follows:
10:00 a.m. Teen J-Serve Project* (on site)
11:00 a.m. Registration opens
11:30 a.m. King David Drummers
12:15 p.m. The Maccabeats
1:00 p.m. Israel Solidarity Day Kickoff Rally
1:15 p.m. Three-Mile Walk with Israel & One-Mile Family
Walk
2:30 p.m. King David Drummers
3:00 p.m. Matisyahu - acoustic
4:00 p.m. Program concludes
* 8th to 12th graders are invited to participate in a
city-wide service project.
For detailed information and registration, visit the JUF website.
Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews
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 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.
With support from Keshet, 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. Purchasing
SHOP gift cards helps the shul raise much needed funds without spending any
more money than you already do for your regular expenses. Orders can be picked
up at Sunday school or the Shir Hadash office.
Don't Toss That Card! Reload it.
Reloading allows you to add funds to many plastic gift cards
you previously purchased on ShopWithScrip® with ease and speed. In fact, if you
pay for your Reload order with PrestoPay™, our online payment method, before
3:30 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday, the funds will be added to your card
overnight! For a growing number of retailers, you can add funds to your gift card
in minutes with ReloadNow™! Please remember, if you pay by check, your reload
purchase will be processed after the order is released by your coordinator.
Remember, using ScripNow is simple: To order, visit any of
the brand pages on ShopWithScrip.com and select the ScripNow product choice.
•Order your ScripNow .
•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.
Special Offers:
Now through May 24 (or while supplies last), a limited run
of the following plastic gift cards will be available:
* Barnes & Noble $5 Gift Card
* Target $10 GiftCard
* Panera Bread $5 Gift Card
Walmart® is offering a savings of 10 cents a gallon on gas
purchases made when using a Walmart Gift Card, effective through July 7, 2013.
We receive an extra 5% bonus contribution on Bath & Body
Works Gift Cards until May 3, 2013. All Bath & Body Works Gift Cards will
have an 18% contribution, instead of the 13% contribution during this period
only.
Bath & Body Works is available in ScripNow™!
Thanks to the following families for participating in Shop
this week:
* Elfant
* Zinbarg
* Schleicher
* Schmit
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