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
- Building Update
- Introducing Online Membership Management System
- Pick Your Date to Host an Oneg
- New Permanent Fundraiser at The Continental Restaurant
- Fundraising Committee: Contest Entries and Volunteers Needed
- High Holidays: Musicians Wanted
- Book Club, July 11
- Save the Date: Synagogue Dedication, August 18
- Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts
- Teen Initiatives: Library and Facebook Group
- Upcoming Services: June 21, 29, and July 6, 15
- High Holidays: Torah Portions Available
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
- Theatre Recommendation: “The Pianist of Willesden Lane”
- More Theatre Ideas: “The Invasion of Skokie”
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
Building Update
Construction continues to move along quickly in the
Synagogue. In the sanctuary, the hardwood flooring for the bima will be
installed at the end of this week. The old cabinetry has been removed in the
sanctuary and the wall is being patched. Eventually, a bench may be installed
at the back of the room.
In other areas of the building, drywall work is now complete
and classroom doors are expected in two to three weeks. The templates for the
lobby benches have been submitted for construction, with the custom millwork
for the benches as well as the ark and other features expected by early July.
The Wheeling Fire Inspector has taken a walk-through and advised us on
necessary additional emergency lights, signage and strobe lights. The village
has also approved our exterior signage plans, so soon everyone driving down
Dundee Road will recognize our home.
Introducing Online Membership Management
We are proud to unveil our new online membership management
system, hosted by ShulCloud. This system provides great benefits--most
immediately ease of membership renewal, school registration and High Holiday
registration. The site offers a secure membership directory and the ability for
us to take secure online credit card payments. (Some things still require a
paper form, but you can find them here for easy downloading.) As we add
additional capabilities, you will be able to make online donations and sign up
for events. Members should have received an email that includes a link to your personal account and instructions to get
you started.
We encourage you to renew your membership right away. The High Holidays are the
week after Labor Day this year and membership renewal is DUE August 1. Anyone
who has not completed their membership renewal paperwork, including payment arrangements, by the High Holidays will be asked to do so before being
allowed to enter the sanctuary.
Many thanks to Lise Schleicher, Rachel Schick Siegel, and the other members of our SH Tech Team for this great improvement for our members!
Pick Your Week to Host an Oneg
We are all very excited about our beautiful new building,
and all the opportunities for being together and strengthening our community.
In that spirit, we are bringing back Oneg/Service Hosting. This year we are
asking each of our families to be Oneg and Service Host for just one service
a year. This does NOT mean
providing all the refreshments for the oneg -- just setting up, cleaning up, and greeting our guests. We anticipate having as many as four
families hosting each service, making this a very quick and easy activity.
While you’re exploring the new Membership Management System on Shul Cloud, you
will find more information and a form to choose a date and sign up on the home
page. We are hoping for 100%
participation. Sign up today to pick the best date for your family!
New Permanent Fundraiser at The Continental Restaurant
The Continental Restaurant (788 S. Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo
Grove) is participating with Shir Hadash in a PERMANENT fundraiser. They will donate 5% of any bill from
Shir Hadash members any day of the week and no flyer is necessary! Just tell
them you are from Shir Hadash when you are paying the bill. They have a book
behind the counter and you will be asked to write down what was spent. The Continental's sign is kind of hard
to see, but it is located next to the Dominick’s in the strip mall at the
Northwest corner of Buffalo Grove Rd and Dundee. The food is good and it is very close to our building. Tell your friends and family!
Last Call for Contest Entries; Volunteers Needed
The Fundraising Committee is looking for a creative
name/slogan for our new Restaurant Fundraising initiative. Under this program, restaurants
volunteer to donate a portion of the proceeds from Shir Hadash members on a
specified day during a month. So
far we have had very successful events at
Roti in Northbrook and Lou Malnati's in Buffalo Grove, in addition to
our new support from The Continental (see above). We plan on having one
restaurant a month. So send your
suggestions for a fun name that conveys the combination of food, fun and
fundraising. Send suggestions to
Glenn Graff at nflsunday@aol.com with the word Fundraising in the subject
line. The winner will receive a
gift card from SHOP Shir Hadash.
And if you like picking the occasional restaurant or helping plan a
party or other event, or you are just bubbling over with fundraising ideas, let
Glenn know. The Fundraising
Committee is looking both for ideas and for additional members to join us in
planning some FUNdraising.
Musicians Wanted for High Holidays
Calling High Holiday singers and instrumentalists! Do you like to sing? Do you play an instrument? Musical rehearsals for High Holidays
will begin in mid-July. Adults and post b'nai mitzvah students are
welcome. Contact Sandy Weiss at
sandy2weiss@gmail.com.
Book Club
The next book club will meet on Thursday, July 11 at the
home of the Zwick family, 385 Castlewood Lane in Deerfield. The book will be
The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan. This true story helps to give insight into the
Palestinian-Israeli conundrum. For more info about our book club, contact Meryl
Abensohn, abenkras@aol.com.
Save the Date: Synagogue Dedication, August 18
While making your summer plans, be sure to save the date for
the dedication of our beautiful synagogue on Sunday, August 18! Details are
still being worked out so watch future newsletters and emails for updates. If
you have any questions and/or would like to help, contact Melanie Andes
(fmandes@comcast.net) or Marc Fargotstein (marcfargo@att.net).
Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts
Show off your love for Shir Hadash! White, 100% cotton
t-shirts proclaiming "Say Shalom to Our New Home" are available in
men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes for $10. To order, contact Lisa McCulloh,
847-814-2922 or jjlisamc@gmail.com.
Teen News
New Teen Initiatives: Library and Facebook Group
We are trying to gauge interest in building a teen library
in our synagogue. Teen intern, Dan Roiter, is spearheading the research for
this project. He would love to get in contact with the students to directly ask
them what type of media and texts they would want in a library. We are also
looking into the possibility of organizing a moderated, closed Facebook group
for all the Shir Hadash teens. This will allow the students to stay in touch
over the summer and into college, facilitate communication, and build a sense
of community amongst the Shir Hadash teens. We could also talk about their
library “wish list” on this Facebook group as well. Please let Dan know how
best to reach you: phone or e-mail.
Contact him at dan.roiter@shir-hadash.org.
Creative Worship & Ritual
Next Service: June 21
Friday, June 21 (7:30) at the Synagogue
Ma Tovu - Hope and Inspiration
When the prophet Bilam blessed the Children of Israel with
the words ‘Ma Tovu – How good,’ instead of cursing them as he intended, our
ancestors got a lucky break. We face difficulty and setback all the time. What does our Jewish tradition tell us
about how to ‘keep on keeping on?’
We’ll pass the microphone and those who wish can share stories of hope
and promise to inspire each other through the rough spots of our life
journeys. We'll start the service
with a naming ceremony for Brody James Oukrust, grandson of member Helene
Weiner.
In honor of the importance of ‘Ma Tovu’ in our tradition,
you are encouraged to bring oneg treats that incorporate tofu. (OK, couldn't resist that one....) If you can't find one, bring something
that gives you hope in tough times - yes, Jewish comfort food. See you Friday!
Preview of Upcoming Services
Saturday, June 29 – Shabbat morning Torah Study and Bike
Ride to the Botanic Garden
Join our own bicycle-riding Rabbi Eitan for a brief Shabbat
morning Torah Study session in the Skokie Lagoons followed by a 10-mile round
trip bike ride to the Chicago Botanic Garden. We’ll meet at 9:00am (please note new time) at the Skokie
Lagoons Parking Lot, on the northeast corner of Willow Road and the Edens
Expressway.
Children must be accompanied by a parent. Bring some money to order breakfast or
a drink in the lovely café at the halfway point of our journey. For those who do not ride, please join
for the service and then drive to the Botanic Garden to meet the group for
breakfast. We will return to the
Skokie Lagoons parking lot between 11 and 11:30. Bring sunscreen, bicycle helmets, and bike locks, too. If it's raining, the program will be
postponed to another time.
Please RSVP to the synagogue office (847-498-8218) to let us
know that you are coming.
NO Service on Friday, July 5
Saturday, July 6 - Time TBD at Schleicher Home
Hot Tub, Havdalah and S'Mores, Oh My!
Monday, July 15 - 7:30 at Synagogue
Tisha B'Av Service
High Holidays – Torah Portions Available
Hard to believe, but
the High Holidays will be here before we know it - less than three
months away. So it's time for us
to ramp up our planning , and one very important element is to assign Torah
portions for reading or chanting.
We already have some parts assigned to folks who have done Torah before,
but there are still parts available.
We have a particular need for readers or chanters on Rosh Hashanah Day 2
and Yom Kippur afternoon, but we do have a few slots still available on Rosh
Hashanah Day 1 and Yom Kippur morning.
We are especially interested in having recent bar and bat mitzvahs come
up and chant Torah. If you
volunteer, we will e-mail to you an MP3 of the Rabbi chanting the portion, plus
a written copy of the portion in Hebrew and English. You also can get help from
the Rabbi and Dawn in getting ready to chant. So if you (or your son or daughter) are interested, please
let Fred Andes know. If you have
any questions, please feel free to contact Fred, at fandes@btlaw.com or 773 354
3100. Thanks - we look forward to
seeing you all at High Holidays - and before!
Adult Education
Lunch & Learn: Thursday Torah Study with Rabbi Eitan
Meeting Place:
The Shir Hadash office
Time: 12 noon - sharp
This week's portion: Numbers, Chapter 23:1-30
Discussion Topic: "Balak: Bilam's Story and a Talking
Donkey"
Join Rabbi Eitan and fellow Shir Hadash members for an
exciting hour of Torah study, brown-bag lunch, and lively discussion.
The Rabbi’s Corner
June 21-22, 2013 / 14 Tammuz 5773
Shabbat Balak
Torah Portion:
Numbers 22:2-25:9 / Haftarah Portion: Micah 5:6-6:8
“A Jewish Surprise on a Mountaintop”
Dear Friends,
Who would expect to find Jewish history on a mountaintop in
rural Virginia? Yet, no doubt
about it, there it was! My wife
Dawn and I were vacationing last week in Virginia and North Carolina during
which we visited Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s unique estate in
Charlottesville, Virginia. It is a
grand historical site. The main
house and workshops that Jefferson designed are magnificent. The views in all directions are
breathtaking. During our tours of
the house and the gardens, the guides made numerous references to the family of
Uriah P. Levy, the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy and a
veteran of the War of 1812.
Apparently, Jefferson spent his later years in terrible debt
and was not able to maintain the Monticello estate in good repair. Upon his death, his slaves were sold on
an auction block on the front steps and the whole estate was sold. The next owner ran the property down
further and sold off much of the land.
When Uriah Levy learned of this, he bought the Monticello property
himself. In addition to his naval
leadership, Levy was successful in real estate and a great fan of Thomas
Jefferson. He considered it a great honor to own Jefferson’s home and was
committed to restoring it to its full glory….
To read the rest of the Rabbi’s Corner, click here.
Community News
Theatre Recommendation: “The Pianist of Willesden Lane"
Now playing at the Royal George Theatre through July 7
Set in Vienna in 1928 and in London during the Blitzkreig,
“The Pianist of Willesden Lane” tells the true story of noted pianist and
author Lisa Jura, as performed by her own daughter Mona Golabek. When Lisa is
sent on the Kindertransport to London to protect her from the Nazi regime,
everything about her life is upended except her love of music and her pursuit
of her dreams. The play’s run has
been extended through July 7 – don’t miss it! Click here to visit the Royal George Theatre's website.
More Theatre Ideas: “The Invasion of Skokie”
The ShPieL Equity Performance Group presents “The Invasion
of Skokie”, now through June 23 at the Mayer Kaplan JCC. The play addresses the tension of the an individual’s coming
up against forces larger than him or her – in this case, the conflict between
the free speech rights of a neo-Nazi group and the emotional trauma suffered by
Holocaust survivors when the group planned a march in Skokie in the 1970s. Click here for more information.
SHOP Shir Hadash
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