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
- Special Presentation by Holocaust Survivors, December 15
- Gift Wrapping at Barnes & Noble Benefits Shir Hadash
- SHOP Shir Hadash Gift Cards
- Coffee House Open Mic Nights
- Chinese Food and Fiddler on the Roof, December 25
- MOSH Bowling Night Recap
- Book Club
- Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
Creative Worship and Ritual
- “Tot Shabbat” Service, December 14
Volunteer Opportunities
- Organizational Meeting for Spring ADA Benefit, December 14
- Help Needed with Shir Hadash Marketing
Music Notes
- Youth Choir & Ensembles Informational Meeting , January 12
- Shabbat Shirah, January 10
- Religious School Music - Teaching Dangerous Songs
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “Hope”
Education
- Education Director’s Blog
Teen News
- Recap: Teen-Led Shabbat
- BBYO Meeting TONIGHT: Invite Convention Planning
- “Praying with Lior” January 11
- Midwest Regional Kallah, February 14-16
Adult Ed
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Donations
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
"Out of Chaos": Special
Presentation by Holocaust Survivors, December 15
Featuring our own Lillian Zoloto
Shir
Hadash's beloved Administrator, Lillian Zoloto, recently shared her experiences
as a child of the Holocaust in an anthology entitled Out of Chaos, now
available from the Northwestern University Press. On December 15, we will
welcome Lillian and three of her fellow contributors, Aaron Elster, Ida Pulach,
and Marguerite Mishkin, who will join us for readings and discussions of their
personal stories of surviving World War II -- two from Poland, two from
Belgium. After our guests share their stories, there will be the opportunity
for questions from the audience.
Please join
us on Sunday, December 15 from 10:30am to 12:00pm. This very special event is
open to members, visitors, parents, and students of our 6th and 7th grade
classes. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, please
contact Emily Ascher, eddirector@shir-hadash.org.
Gift Wrapping at Barnes & Noble
Benefits Shir Hadash
Come out to
support Shir Hadash and synagogue members who have generously donated their
time to raise funds for our synagogue!
Shop at Barnes & Noble, 920 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Lincolnshire,
this Sunday, December 15 from 10:00am until 8:00pm, stop by to say
"Hello," and have us wrap your B & N purchases! Whether you need to get in a little late
Hanukkah shopping, pick up a gift or two for those celebrating Christmas, or
want to take advantage of great deals for upcoming birthdays and celebrations,
this is a great way to accomplish those tasks and support Shir Hadash at the
same time. Let's share in the spirit of
the season and give Shir Hadash a great gift!!
We hope to see you this Sunday at Barnes and Noble in Lincolnshire.
SHOP Shir Hadash Gift Cards – Perfect for
Teachers, Mail Carriers, Everyone!
Still need
gifts for teachers and all those other folks who help you out during the year? Use
SHOP gift cards to pay for your presents, or just give the cards as gifts –
always a perfect fit! Every purchase benefits Shir Hadash, without costing you
an extra dime. SHOP cards are available during Sunday School or can be picked up in the SH office.Scroll to the bottom of this newsletter for detailed info on
special offers, and contact Gina Zinbarg, gzinbarg@gmail.com, with any
questions.
Coming Soon: Coffee House Night – Open Mic
Style
It’s
coming! “Coffee House Night at Shir
Hadash – Open Mic Style” will be on Saturday, January 25, 2014 from 7:00 to 10:00pm. Enjoy a laid back Saturday night with low
lighting, comfortable seating, friendly conversation, a Bake Sale with
Coffee/Beverages, and the amazing talent of our friends. EVERYONE will be welcome to participate: any
age, any talent, members, non-members, friends and people who are just there to
enjoy a wonderful evening of entertainment.
To get this
event off the ground we still need a little help -- YOU! The event is practically all organized, all
we need is a little help from YOU! Your
talent! From the youngest who just wrote their first poem to the oldest –
everyone will be included. Dancers,
Actors, Musicians, Storytellers, Magicians, Group Acts … you name it! If you have a talent or you know someone who
would like to share, we invite you to participate. Invite your friends and
family to cheer you on and support you.
There’s room for everyone and we’d love to get you involved. Attention Bakers! Attention Tech Help! Attention Set-up Crew (roadie)! Interested in participating? Please contact Margie Skora at
MargiePromoPro1@aol.com and put “Coffee House Talent” in the subject line. Click here for more
information.
Fiddler on the Roof and Chinese Food,
December 25
Save the
Date, December 25! What's a Jew to do?
Come to Shir Hadash and enjoy a kosher Chinese buffet dinner and sing-a-long
to Fiddler on The Roof!
The movie
will start at 4pm and dinner will be at intermission. $18.00 for adults and
$12.00 for kids 10 and under. After the movie, there will be a discussion of
the Jewish themes in the movie.
We will need
volunteers to help with set up and clean up. Watch your emails for the rest of
the details including how to rsvp, volunteer and pay. Bring your friends and relatives
too! Any questions? Contact Melanie Andes, 847-913-9198, fmandes@comcast.net.
MOSH Bowling Night
Book Club
On December 7,
nine Book Club members met to discuss The Slave by the famous Yiddish author
Isaac Bashevis Singer. We enjoyed hearing about the author’s life, learning
about the dark years in Poland after the Cossack rebellion, and discussing
philosophical questions about Judaism. Many thanks to Rebecca Rice for hosting.
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
“Tot Shabbat”, December 14
Service begins at 6:00 (note special time)
This Friday
night, we have a special Second Friday program, specially designed for families
with young children (six and under). The Tot Shabbat will start at 6:00 pm, and
will be led by Rabbi Eitan and our children’s service leader Lauren Shook.
There will be lots of singing, dancing, a Torah parade, and a great puppet
show. The 40-minute service will be followed by challah, grape juice, and a
delicious pot-luck oneg. Please bring a dessert to share. Bring your family and
friends - non-members are welcome!
Just to be
clear - there will NOT be a regular Friday night service after Tot
Shabbat. Stay tuned, though - we do have
a great service coming up next week (Dec. 20), and the new, first-time-ever
Dec. 25 evening program, where we eat Kosher Chinese food while we watch (and
sing along to) "Fiddler on the Roof"!
Volunteer Opportunities
Organizational Meeting for ADA Benefit,
December 14
Shir Hadash
will hold a benefit concert to support the American Diabetes Association in the
spring. The concert will raise awareness, raise funds for the local chapter in
Chicago, and maybe make a difference in a few lives. It will also be a great,
fun event to bring together our entire community!
We’re
looking for team members to help with:
- Formulating a plan
- Creating a budget
- Seeking out and signing up performers, including musicians and actors
- Assembling a production team that will include stage crew, food, drinks, and production logistics
If this is your area of interest or expertise, we would love
to have you! Join us for an
organizational meeting on Saturday, December 14 from 10:00 to 11:00am to learn
more about this exciting project. Please contact Jeffrey Wallk
(president@shir-hadash.org) for more information.
Help Needed with SH Marketing
The
Marketing Committee needs help letting the public know what’s going on at Shir
Hadash! Can you help out in one of these roles?
- Flyer Designer
- We are looking for one or two people to create flyers for upcoming events. Some desktop publishing or design experience preferred. Flyer designers will work with the Marketing Committee, event planner(s), and Rabbi Eitan.
- Time commitment is about rwo hours per month
- Public Relations Coordinator
- We are looking for one or two people to follow detailed instructions to submit event announcement to online calendar listings and to submit and publish press releases.
- about 6 times per year, submit event announcements to online calendar listings
- about twice per month, submit press releases to area publications via e-mail and self-publish on online publications such as Patch.
- Time commitment is about two hours per month.
- Press Release Writer
- One or two volunteers will be assigned a topic for a press release according to their availability. They will contact the subjects of the press release and write a release following detailed instructions. Press release writers will work with the Marketing Committee, event planner(s), Rabbi Eitan, and other interested parties.
- Time commitment is about three hours per month (about one press release each month).
If you are
interested in any of these volunteer opportunities, please contact Rachel
Schick Siegel, Marketing Committee Chair (847) 724-5720,
rschicksiegel@comcast.net. Thank you!
Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director
Youth Choir & Ensembles Informational
Meeting , January 12
On Sunday,
January 12 at 8:45am we will hold an informational meeting for parents and
students interested in participating in our newly re-organizing youth ensembles
- the Kolit youth choir, and student instrumentalists of all kinds who might be
interested in playing in a small youth ensemble, or playing along with Kolit.
Singers, drummers, guitarists, pianists, clarinetists, horn players,
instrumentalists of all kinds are welcome. For more information contact Mr. D
at music.director@shir-hadash.org.
Shabbat Shirah, January 10
Religious School Music - Teaching Dangerous
Songs
I've started
teaching one of my favorite songs to our Shir Hadash students. Decades ago,
when I first started teaching this "dangerous song" to students in
Jewish schools, not a few people wondered how I could be teaching a German
peasant song in a Jewish setting. If you'll take the time to learn the history
of the song "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" (Thoughts are Free), then you
might come to understand the power of this song that I learned from Pete Seeger
in my childhood. (It appears on his album "Dangerous Songs.") It may
be a centuries old German peasant song (some believe the music goes back to the
middle ages, but the first attested versions date back to near the end of the
16th century). It became an important
anthem to German opponents of the Nazis, including the antiviolent die Weiße
Rose, the White Rose Society. It's important for our students to understand
that not everyone in Germany was a supporter of the Nazis. Additionally, in our
own day and our own time there are still those who would seek to oppress
others, and tell them what they can and cannot think. I'm encouraging our students to help me write
some new English verses to the song so that we can contribute to its important
message: that no one can deny, Die Gedanken Sind Frei!
The Rabbi’s Corner
December 13-14, 2013 / 11 Tevet 5774
Shabbat Vayekhi
Torah - Genesis 47:28-50:26 / Haftarah - I Kings 2:1-12
“Hope”
Dear
Friends,
My daughter
flew back to Israel after a brief and wonderful visit over the Hanukkah and
Thanksgiving break. In ten days she will
enter the Israeli army and begin her two years of service. Watching her go through the security check at
the airport, I thought of all the dangers that surround us in our modern and
high-tech world. I said a quiet prayer
for Elana’s safety as she left us and headed out into the world.
What a world
we live in – filled with so much to fear.
The 20th century was the bloodiest on record during which countless
millions were murdered and slaughtered in two world wars and regional and
national conflicts. We live in a world
where the fear of terrorism has reached every corner of the globe. Our high-tech gadgets have brought us
identity theft. The chemicals that
brought us abundant harvests are causing biological problems of all kinds. Our
fossil fuels are causing the earth to warm and climate to change. There is a lot to worry about these days.
Yet, we Jews
are not ones to despair. As Edmund Fleg
put it in his poem, ‘Why I am a Jew,’
I am a Jew
because in every place where suffering weeps, the Jew weeps.
I am a Jew
because at every time when despair cries out, the Jew hopes….
To read the
rest of The Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website.
Education News
Check Out the Education Blog
Our
Education Director Emily Ascher shares school news, photos, and insights in her
weekly blog. Click here to see what’s new!
Teen News
Recap: Teen Led Shabbat
Mazel Tov to
our new BBYO Chapter Ra'am! With Rabbi Eitan, the teens led Shabbat
services on December 6, interspersing their own thoughts about the theme for
the evening, "new beginnings." Shir Hadash teens were joined by about 30
BBYO members from area chapters, regional staff members and chapter advisors.
We are so proud of our teens and look forward to the many opportunities our
BBYO affiliation affords.
BBYO: Invite Planning Meeting TONIGHT
BBYO will
meet at the synagogue on Thursday, December 12 at 7:00. Come help the chapter
plan for our participation in the upcoming BBYO Invite Convention, January
24-26, 2014 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. For more information about this great
event and to register online, click here.
Mark Your Calendars: “Praying With Lior”,
January 11
On Saturday,
January 11 from 7:00 - 9:00, BBYO presents the film “Praying With Lior” with a
discussion to follow. Watch for details,
coming soon!
Midwest Regional Kallah, February 14 – 16
Save the
Date for the Midwest Regional Kallah for 6th-12th graders. Join teens from the
Chicago area and Michigan for a weekend of Reconstructionist living. Registration forms will be available
soon—watch for more details in future newsletters.
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
Sunday
School isn’t just for kids! Join us this week 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.
Donations
To the
Capital Campaign Fund:
Lise and
Sandi Schleicher, in memory of Charlotte Lewin, mother of Steve Lewin
SHOP Shir Hadash
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. For more information, visit our SHOP page on the website.
New Small
Denomination Cards: Limited Time Only!
Announcing a
limited run of small denomination gift cards from some of your favorite
retailers! These small denomination gift cards make thoughtful, easy gifts for
teachers, coworkers, babysitters, and all the other special people in your
life. While supplies last, the following
plastic gift cards will be available:
- Amazon.com Gift Card $10
- Barnes & Noble $5
- Pizza Hut $5
- Target $10
- Panera Bread® $5
- Walmart $10
Comfort Inn and
Gap Inc. Gift Cards now available for reload!
New Gas
Brands Available for ReloadNow:
- 76, Arco, BP, Chevron/Texaco, Exxon, Mobil, and Sunoco
New ScripNow Retailers: Hotels for Winter Break Travel!
Comfort Inn,
Comfort Suites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion, Cambria Suites, MainStay
Suites, Suburban, EconoLodge, Rodeway Inn, Ascend Collection
Bonus Contributions:
Currently Available:
- AMC – 2% through Dec. 13
- AutoZone – 1% through Dec. 13
- Bass Pro Shops – 3% through Dec. 20
- Bon Ton – 2% through Dec. 13
- Boston Market – 2% through Dec. 13
- Caribou Coffee – 1% through Dec. 13
- Cheesecake Factory – 2% through Dec. 13
- Chili’s – 2% through Dec. 13
- Coldwater Creek – 2% through Dec. 20
- Jiffy Lube – 3% through Dec. 27
- Journeys – 3% through Dec. 13
- Kmart – 2% through Dec. 13
- Landry’s – 2% through Dec. 13
- LL Bean – 2% through Dec. 13
- Meijer – 1% through Dec. 13
- Red Robin – 3% through Jan. 3
- Sears – 2% through Dec. 13
- See’s Candies – 1% on $25 Card only, through Dec. 13
- Shutterfly – 2% through Dec. 13
- Smart & Final – 2% through Jan. 3
- SpaFinder – 2% through Dec. 13
- Staples – 3% through Dec. 13
- Subway – 1% through Dec. 13
- TGI Friday’s – 2% through Dec. 13
- Athleta – 2% through Dec. 20
- Banana Republic – 2% through Dec. 20
- Belk – 2% through Dec. 20
- Black Angus – 1% through Dec. 20
- Gap – 2% through Dec. 20
- Groupon – 5% on Plastic Gift Cards, 3% on eCards through Dec. 13
- Home Depot – 1% through Dec. 13
- iTunes – 4% through Dec. 20
- JC Penney – 2% through Dec. 20
- Journeys – 3% through Dec. 13
- Old Navy – 2% through Dec. 20
- Outback Steakhouse – 2% through Dec. 20
- Petco – 1% through Dec. 20
- Piperlime – 2% through Dec. 20
- Pizzeria Uno – 2% through Jan. 3
- Red Robin – 3% through Jan. 3
- Shutterfly – 2% through Dec. 13
- Starbucks – 2% through Dec. 20
- Smart & Final – 2% through Jan. 3
Beginning soon:
- Build a Bear Workshop – 2% from Dec. 14 to Dec. 27
- CVS – 2% (ScripNow and Reload only) Dec. 14 to Dec. 27
- Domino’s – 2% from Dec. 14 to Dec. 20 (eCards through Dec. 27)
- Hallmark – 2% from Dec. 14 to Dec.
- Kohl’s – 1% from Dec. 14 to Dec. 20
- Lowe’s – 2% (eCards only) Dec. 14 to Dec. 20
Xbox Live - New
ScripNow Retailer with a 6% non-profit contribution!
Target ReloadNow
offers a 2.5 Rebate.
TGIFriday’s Bonus
Bites: Get a FREE $5 TGIFridays Bonus Bites electronic coupon simply by order
TGI Fridays products on ShopWithScript.com redeemable between Jan. 1 and Feb.
28, 2014.
Connect with
Scrip on Facebook and you could win $50 ScripNow! Check out the ShopWithScrip
page on Facebook for a quick $50 ScripNow giveaway next week.
Gift Card Holiday
Wrappers are available in packs of 10 for $2, with a 10% non-profit
contribution. Find them on ShopWithScrip.com!
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 the Special Offers page.
Thanks to the
following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Fisher-Rohde
- Idelman
- Anes
- Mostow
- G. Graff
- Allen
- Callistein
- F. Farahmandpour
- M. Farahmandpour
- Fargotstein
- Levy
- M. Graff
- Mostow
- Singer
- Kopulsky
- Weiner-Kaplow
- Goldwin
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