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
- Prospective Member Open House, October 24
- Jewish Western Movie Night: “The Frisco Kid”, October 19
- Book Club
- Dining for Dollars Fundraiser: Buffalo Wild Wings, October 24
- Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, October 18
- "A Sweet Shabbat" Music Service, Friday, November 1
Volunteer Opportunities
- Help Host Our Prospective Member Open House
- Soup Kitchen Opportunity, November 10
- Shir Hadash Supports PADS
- Storage Locker Clean-Out, October 20
- Office Help Needed
- Landscape Fall Clean Up
Music Notes
- Religious School Music for Everyone
- Lights & Miracles – We Need You!
- Join the Lahaka
- New Hanukkah Music Suggestions
The Rabbi’s Corner
- "The Stories We Tell"
Education
- A Note from the Education Director
- 6th Grade Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning Meeting, October 20
Teen News
- BBYO, October 17 (tonight!!)
- Madrichim, October 20
- High School in Israel Information Meeting, November 3
- SHY Lounge, November 7
Community News
- Panel Discussion: “Forging Jewish Identity and Community”, October 22
Jewish Cultural Events in Chicagoland
- “Old Jews Telling Jokes”
- "Signs of Life"
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
Prospective Member Open House, October 24
Invite your
friends to learn about Shir Hadash at our first Open House. They will have the
chance to socialize with members, meet our Rabbi and Education Director, and
find out what we’re all about. Join us on October 24 from 7:00 to 8:30 at the
synagogue. Want to help plan this special event? Scroll down to “Volunteer
Opportunities” to find out how!
Jewish Western Movie Night and Discussion,
October 19
Shir Hadash is
hosting its first movie night on October 19. Beginning at 7:00pm, we will be
showing “The Frisco Kid,” a Western comedy featuring Gene Wilder as Avram
Belinski, a Polish rabbi who is traveling to San Francisco, and Harrison Ford
as a bank robber who befriends him. Come join the fun and even bring your
friends! After the movie there will be a
discussion about the Jewish themes in the movie. Admission is free. There will be a suggested donation for
facilities overhead. Popcorn and snacks
will be available for purchase. All
proceeds will benefit Shir Hadash.
Book Club
Our next
selection for the Shir Hadash Book Club is The Slave, by Isaac Bashevis
Singer. This is the story of Jacob, a scholar sold into slavery in the
aftermath of pogroms in Poland in the seventeenth century . He falls in love
with a gentile woman and questions his faith. We will meet in early
December—watch for details in future newsletters.
Dining for Dollars: Buffalo Wild Wings,
October 24
On October
24th (all day) we will be having our October Dining for Dollars at Buffalo Wild
Wings at 1018 Willow Road, Northbrook, IL. Bring in our flyer (click here)
located here and 15% of your food purchases will benefit Shir Hadash. And if you buy a Buffalo Wild Wings gift card
from SHOP Shir Hadash, we will benefit twice.
Hungry Before or After Religious School (or
Anytime)?
The
Continental Restaurant in Buffalo Grove or Butterfields Restaurant in
Northbrook permanently will donate 5% of your total bill to Shir Hadash! No
flyer needed – just mention Shir Hadash when you are paying or fill out the
Shir Hadash book behind the desk. A
great way to start or end Religious School!
Creative Worship and Ritual
Shabbat Evening Service: Friday, October 18
at 7:30
With the
Birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah, we are introduced to the power of a Hebrew
name. Names have meaning for the
Biblical characters and for us as well. They form a piece of our Jewish
identity. At this service we will
explore the significance of our Jewish names and even confer names on some of
our children. Rabbi Weiner-Kaplow will present some of the Biblical characters
with names of the strangest meanings you could possibly imagine. Don’t miss
this rare treat. During our service we
will honor and bless Sandy Simon and Stuart Aizenberg on their upcoming trip to
Israel. They will be taking the first packet of prayers slipped into the cracks
of our sanctuary's Jerusalem stone wall and delivering them to the Western Wall
in Jerusalem.
Lauren Shook
will be on hand to lead an exciting Shabbat children's program for preschoolers
through 3rd graders.
Please bring
treats to share for the potluck oneg refreshments.
Save the Date “A Shabbat Sweet” Service, November 1
Be sure to join us for a very special musical experience for
Shabbat on Friday, November 1 at 7:30pm. We will be treated to “A Shabbat
Sweet,” a unique service that combines ancient Jewish prayers with original
melodies by Chicago musician (and JRC member) Billy Kaplan. Guest musicians and
vocalists will join forces with Shir Hadash performers for a night everyone
will enjoy. For more information about “A Shabbat Sweet,” visit
www.ashabbatsweet.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
Special Thanks
We want to
express special appreciation to Suzanne Wexler and Dan Wellisch, our diligent
Volunteer Coordinators. Over the past few months – the busiest time in the
history of our synagogue – they have been invaluable as they recruited and
facilitated volunteers for events large and small. Thank you Suzanne and Dan for all that you to contribute to our
community!
We are
looking for a few volunteers to plan and execute our Prospective Member Open
House on October 24. The event will be held at the synagogue so we can show off
the building. Volunteers will hang “coffee shop” flyers and be there to greet
prospective members and tell them why Shir Hadash is a great place to be.
Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed
On Sunday,
November 10th, Shir Hadash will be preparing, cooking and serving over 90 meals
to needy individuals at the St Paul's Lutheran Church Soup Kitchen in
Evanston. This event will require
volunteers to be available from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. We need a minimum of 25 volunteers (about
10-12 families). There is no age limit to volunteer, but from past experience,
kids should be at least 6 years old to fully participate. Each family will be responsible for bringing
an entrée that will feed 15 to 20 individuals, one gallon of milk, one gallon
of orange juice, one large bag frozen mixed vegetables, one large bag of fruit
(oranges, bananas, etc.) and dessert.
If you are
interested in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart before November 1st at
mjlenhart@comcast.net. More information will be sent to all volunteers
approximately one week before the event.
After this, the next opportunity to volunteer for the Soup Kitchen will
be February 2014.
Shir Hadash Supports PADS Shelters for the Homeless
The Shir
Hadash Social Action Committee is excited to announce a new partnership with the
PADS Shelter Program in Northern Cook County.
PADS provides hospitality, food, and overnight emergency shelter to the
homeless between October 1 and April 30, seven days a week (including
holidays). Please visit their website to
learn about the vital services PADS provides.
Initially,
Shir Hadash will be providing some portion of the food needed at the Tuesday
PADS Site located at the Kingswood United Methodist Church in Buffalo
Grove. Our hope is that we can begin to
get more involved with PADS and provide them with more food as well as onsite
support and volunteer opportunities for our members.
At this
point, we are just collecting names of interested people who would willing and
able to provide food once or twice a season, depending on the number of
volunteers we get. If you are interested
in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart at mjlenhart@comcast.net for detailed
information about food donations. Once
we have a list of interested volunteers, Maureen Rivkin will be coordinating
and assigning volunteers as needed. Thanks
in advance for your support of this great organization!
Storage
Locker Clean-Out
We need some
help this Sunday to clean out the synagogue’s storage locker, so that we can
stop paying rent at the end of October.
- Time: 11:00am this Sunday, 10/20/2013.
- Where: Meet at the synagogue on Sunday at the front entrance. We will then caravan over to the storage facility.
- What To Do: You will start taking stuff out and bringing it back to the synagogue for storage or disposal.
Office Help Needed
Lillian could still use help in the Shir Hadash office on
Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for the next few weeks. If you have time to
answer the phones and cover administrative tasks, please contact
volunteer@shir-hadash.org to fill some time slots.
Join our Landscape
Clean-Up Team!
Last weekend
the Landscaping Committee had another successful day eradicating the invasive
Buckthorn plant choking out the large trees in the field directly to the east
of our synagogue building. Hidden in the weeds we found two lovely Mulberry
trees--what a nice surprise! Join us on Sunday as we tackle tree number 3. We
meet from 10am-12noon. This is a UGIVE event which means your teenager can earn
service hours if he or she attends. Contact Jodi Marvet at jlmarvet@comcast.net
for more information.
Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director
Religious School Music – For Everyone to Enjoy
I need and want your input. What are the Jewish songs that
meant something to you growing up? I am constantly striving to find a balance
between the new and the not so new in the music we use in religious school.
Share your favorites with me. Anytime parents and children can enjoy and sing
the same songs is a plus in my book!
Light & Miracles - We Still Need You
It's coming
sooner than you think! Our "Lights & Miracles" celebration
service will be on Friday, November 22. Vocalists, instrumentalists, actors,
comedians, dancers, jugglers, and artists of all kinds are invited to come and
be a part of this very special evening. If you've a talent to share, contact
Adrian at music.director@shir-hadash.org. Our youth will be learning songs in
religious school so they can participate at Lights & Miracles, too. Plan to
be there and join in the celebration as we give thanks, in the spirit of both
Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.
Lahaka
We're always
looking to welcome new members of Lahaka, the Shir Hadash adult choir. Come and
sing with us! Rehearsals take place on Wednesdays at 7:30pm at Shir Hadash. If
you're interested, contact Adrian at music.director@shir-hadash.org.
Hanukkah -- Finding Music
Have you
discovered OySongs.com yet? It's one of the best places to find and download
Jewish albums from contemporary Jewish songwriters. Click here to access all their
Hanukkah albums: CDBaby.com is another place where many of
today's up and coming (and established) Jewish musicians can be found. There's
tons of Hanukkah stuff to be found -- click here to check it out.
The Rabbi’s Corner
October 18-19, 2013 / 15 Heshvan 5774
Shabbat Vayera
Torah Portion: Genesis 18:1-22:24 / Haftarah Portion: II
Kings 4:1-37
“The Stories We Tell”
Dear Friends,
Helping to bring peace and healing to our troubled world
often seems an insurmountable task. Yet,
our Jewish tradition teaches us to do what we can, even if we feel that we
cannot complete the task. We must still
do our best to make some progress.
This week’s Torah portion offers us a unique way to help
make a small difference that may turn out to be a huge one in someone’s
life. It revolves around how we tell
stories about others....
To read the rest of the Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website.
Education
A Note from the Education Director
 |
| 2nd Graders love studying Hebrew in our "living room"! |
Our teachers
and students are settled into the new year at Shir Hadash. Under the leadership of Hebrew Specialist
Limor Wasserman, the initial Hebrew assessments are complete and students have
been placed in their Hebrew groups. Remember, the more the children practice at
home, the easier bar/t miztvah preparations will be in sixth and seventh grade.
The older children will have about ten minutes of homework a week, but that
doesn't mean they can't do more! There
are many websites and Hebrew apps; the
one we recommend is the Behrman House Publishers site. If you have concerns about homework, please
feel free to email the teachers.
Parents are
always encouraged to join us for services in the morning. The 3rd-7th grades
meet in the sanctuary at 9:15 a.m. sharp, with the little ones following at
approximately 9:45 a.m. The Education Committee
and I ask that, for the safety of our students, parents and members refrain
from entering any areas other than the coffee bar and center circle. If you need to pick up your child early,
please sign in with Gloria the table by the offices. Thank you for your cooperation.
6th Grade Bar/Bat Mitzvah
Planning Meeting, October 20
Parents of 6th
graders: here’s your chance to have your questions answered by Rabbi Eitan and
our mitzvah maven Ruth Wallk! Come together for a brief and informative meeting
with other parents in your child’s class. We will meet this Sunday, October 20,
at 11:30 in the Rabbi’s office. Questions? Contact Education Director Emily
Ascher, eddirector@shir-hadash.org.
Teen News
BBYO, October 17 – TONIGHT!
We are
excited to announce our Shir Hadash BBYO chapter launch event: Thursday,
October 17 from 7:00 to 8:30pm. All 8th-12th graders are
invited to join us in the Teen Lounge for our very first chapter meeting.
BBYO’s pluralistic movement of Jewish teens, alumni, parents, volunteers and
philanthropists will serve as the Jewish community’s most valuable platform for
delivering to the post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah audience fun, meaningful and affordable
experiences that inspire a lasting connection to the Jewish people.
Click here to register with BBYO online; please select Shir Hadash as your chapter. See
you tonight!
Madrichim
Join us for
our 1st meeting on Sunday, October 20th at 8:40 a.m. in the teen lounge. Watch your e-mail for more information and
the meeting agenda.
High School in Israel Information Meeting
for Teens and Parents
On Sunday,
November 3rd from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Teen Lounge, AMHSI Representative,
Dana Klein will meet with us to talk about their programs for High School
students.
Alexander Muss High School in Israel, known as HSI or AMHSI, is the only pluralist,
non-denominational, co-educational English language study abroad program in
Israel for high school students. AMHSI was founded in 1972 and boasts over
22,000 alumni. They provide teens the opportunity to spend part of the academic
school year or summer in Israel during the sophomore, junior or senior year of
high school on a fully accredited academic and fun experience, earning high
school and college credit. Come hear about the programs offered from the
midwest representative.
SHY Lounge
On Thursday,
November 7th from 7-8:30 pm, come hear Shir Hadash senior Claire Marvet talk
about the documentary Blood Brother,
a powerful film about a young American who dedicates himself to working in an
HIV/AIDS hostel for poverty-stricken children in India. Claire is hosting a
special showing of the film on November 20th at the AMC Showplace in Vernon Hills,
with proceeds benefiting the children of the hostel. Click here for
details about the documentary and ticket information.
Adult Education
Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan
Weiner-Kaplow
Thursdays,
noon-1:00pm in the Shir Hadash Kitchen/Cafe
Join Shir
Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the
weekly Torah portion. Don’t be surprised
if archaeology, sociology, contemporary world affairs as well as law, medicine,
and business ethics enter the lively conversation as we plumb the deeper
meanings of Judaism’s core text.
Participants are encouraged to share their views, questions, and
opinions. Each month, one of the class
sessions will be devoted to the Chai Mitzvah curriculum.
Sunday Morning Adult Ed
Our Sunday
adult discussion groups are getting underway! Join us this week at the synagogue for Torah and
Philosophy at 9:45 with Fred Andes, followed by Hebrew Reading at 10:45 with
Steve Lewin. For more information, contact Fred
Andes, frederic.andes@btlaw.com.
Community Events
Panel Discussion: “Forging Jewish Identity
and Community”, October 22
The Center
for Jewish Law and Judaic Studies will present its 5th Annual
Interdenominational Community Event, a panel discussion entitled “Forging
Jewish Identity and Community in the Me Generation: Rabbinic, Institutional,
and Parental Responses.” Noted scholars and community leaders will address the
question of how to promote Jewish identity and social connection for the
millennial generation. The event, including a dessert reception, takes on
October 22 from 7:00 to 9:30pm at the the Chicagoland Jewish High School, 1095
Lake Cook Road in Deerfield. For more information, visit the JLJC website.
Jewish Cultural Events in Chicagoland
"Old Jews Telling Jokes" at the
Royal George Theatre
This
long-running Off-Broadway show will be playing at the Royal George Theatre from
September 24 through January 26. Click here to visit the theatre’s website. We are trying to organize a group to see the
show on Sunday, November 17; if you
are interested in joining us, please contact Meryl Abensohn ASAP at
abenkras@aol.com.
“Signs of Life” at the Victory Gardens
Theatre
A
surprising, moving new musical, “Signs of Life” tells the true story of
Terezin, a Czech military town that was transformed into a “model” Jewish
ghetto. The captive residents, many of whom were artists and intellectuals,
were forced to beautify their environment in an effort by the authorities to
hide the true nature of the regime from the Red Cross and the International
Community. Highly recommended! “Signs of Life” plays at Victory Gardens through
October 27. Click here to visit the theatre’s website for more information.
SHOP Shir Hadash
SHOP for
Hanukkah and Dine for Dollars!
SHOP is our
congregation’s ongoing fundraiser – and the easiest way to support the shul
without spending an extra dime! Purchase giftcards through SHOP and the vendors
pay a percentage back to Shir Hadash. SHOP orders of at least $400 are now payable by
credit card, as well as annual SHOP orders. Orders can be picked up at the
synagogue office or at Sunday School. For more information, visit our SHOP page
on the website.
While supplies
last, a limited run of the following plastic gift cards will be available:
- Barnes & Noble $5 Gift Card
- Panera Bread $5 Gift Card
Get your Buffalo
Wild Wings Gift Cards here!
Bonus
Contributions:
- Domino’s – 2% Bonus now through October 18
- LL Bean – 2% Bonus now through October 25
- Home Depot – 1% Bonus October 19 to 25
- Bosco’s – 2% Bonus October 19 to November 1
Between now and
October 31, 2013, you could earn $100 in your choice of ShopWithScrip.com gift
cards for every new organization that enrolls and places an order. When you
refer a new organization, they will receive free shipping on their first order!
Thank-Scrip-ing
Day will be back for Thanksgiving, November 28, with a whole new set of
retailers and ScripNow bonuses! Plus, we still have a lot of different bonuses
you can see on our Special Offers page, and we'll have more exciting news about
upcoming events like free shipping, special coupons, and more. Contact Gina
Zinbarg, gzinbarg@sbcglobal.net, for more information.
Thanks to the
following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Andes
- Estes-Goldman
- Weiner-Kaplow
- M. Graff
- Anes
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