Shir Hadash Weekly Newsletter -- February 13, 2014

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

• NEW! Dining for Dollars Fundraiser at D’Agostino’s, February 16
• Open Meeting on Kosher/Kashrut Policy, February 16
• Shir Hadash Gala, February 22
• Support the Gala with Silent Auction Donations
• Book Club, February 25
• MOSH Family Hockey Event at Chicago Wolves, March 2
• Online Shir Hadash Business Directory
• Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s

Creative Worship and Ritual

• No Shabbat Evening Service on February 14

Volunteer Opportunities

• Spread the Word: Join our Marketing Team

Music Notes

• Purim Online
• Lahaka Adult Choir

Education

• Visit the Education Director’s Blog

Teen News

• BBYO Bowling, March 2
• Teen Ski Trip, February 21-22
• NEW! JRF National Kallah, March 21-23

The Rabbi’s Corner

• “Keep On Keeping On”

Adult Ed

• Crash Course in Basic Judaism
• The Book of Esther Interfaith Class
• Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
• Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes

Community Events

• Chicago A Capella Presents “Melodic Migrations”, February 15
• Dr. Amy-Jill Levine at OLB, April 3 & 4

SHOP Shir Hadash

Membership and Upcoming Events

Open Meeting on Kosher/Kashrut Policy, February 16

Now that we have a building, one of the topics that comes up fairly often is food - as in, what kinds of food can and can't be served in the synagogue.  We have a committee that has been looking at these issues and working with the Rabbi to develop some options, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback as we develop our congregation’s Kosher/Kashrut policy.

To encourage that dialogue, we have scheduled an open meeting for this Sunday, February 16, at 10:00am in the sanctuary. The committee will make a presentation, laying out the issues and some options, and then we will open the floor to questions, thoughts, discussion and dialogue.  Ultimately, all of this input will be considered by the committee, and ultimately by the Board. (And yes, food will be served - coffee, bagels, cream cheese...) 

We have compiled some relevant materials on Kosher/Kashrut issues, including policies developed by other synagogues.  Click here to review these materials on our website.  In the meantime, if you have any questions, please feel free to send a note to Fred Andes, at fredricandes@gmail.com .  We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

 

Dining for Dollars Fundraiser at D’Agostino’s, February 16

We are having our February Dining for Dollars all day this Sunday at D'Agostinos (Wheeling and Glenview locations).  Perfect for after Sunday's Kashrut meeting, after picking up kids from Kallah, or just for dinner.  Click here to download and print the flyer. .  

“Living the Chai Life” Shir Hadash Gala and Silent Auction, February 22

The celebration for Shir Hadash’s 18^th Anniversary is less than two weeks away!  The Living the Chai Life Fundraising Gala is on Saturday, February 22 from 7:30-11:00pm, at the Arboretum Club in Buffalo Grove.  The evening will feature hors d'oeuvres, desserts, a silent auction, raffle and live music by Not For Profit Band!  Come join the fun and help us celebrate our chai year.

• Early Bird Registration Deadline - Due to a deadline to tell the venue the number people attending, the early bird registration price ends on Sunday February 16.  Please register before the deadline to avoid the added cost of late registration or at-the-door registration. Click here for information on the Gala and a link to RSVP on-line.
• Volunteer - We can also use some volunteers for ticketing, checkout and other help during the Gala.  If you could donate a half hour of your time during the Gala, please click here. 
• Silent Auction Items - A partial list of the many silent auction items is also contained on the Gala web link above.  With over 80 items, there is something for everyone.  And if you know a baseball fan, be sure to check out the large autographed artwork for auction featuring original signatures of nearly all the living active or retired Jewish baseball players.  A framed reproduction of the art is on display in the Synagogue lobby, or click here to see it on our website.

Questions? Please feel free to send an email to Glenn Graff, fundraising@shir-hadash.org. See you on February 22!

Book Club, February 25

Our next selection will be Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua. The book is a story of identity, following two Israeli Arabs who are trying to define themselves in modern day Jerusalem. We will discuss this novel at our next meeting, to be held at the home of Melanie Andes on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30. For more information, please contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.

Family Hockey Event With MOSH, March 2

Join MOSH (Men of Shir Hadash) for a family outing of hockey as the Chicago Wolves take on the Iowa Wild in a Midwest Division showdown. Everyone is welcome!

• When: Sunday, March 2, 2014, 3:00 - 6:00 pm (approximate)

• Where:  Allstate Arena – 6920 N. Mannheim Rd. Rosemont
• Cost: $24.50 per person. Seats are near center ice on the lower level. Parking is $13 per car in the Allstate Arena lot
• RSVP:  by February 20th to mosh@shir-hadash.org

What is M.O.S.H.? Very simple... men of Shir Hadash getting together socially, doing fun stuff.  Why?  Because we all need more fun in our lives and getting to know other male Shir Hadashniks is a good thing.

Pass this on! If you aren't a man but you know men, or you are a man of Shir Hadash and you want to make sure a male friend at Shir Hadash knows about M.O.S.H.  please invite them to join us for this event!

Online Shir Hadash Business Directory

Our new ShulCloud Business Directory is up and running! We have added this feature to the public area of our website as a benefit to our members. Click here to check it out.  

SH members are eligible for a free basic listing, including your name, your business name, a link to your website or email and your business phone number sorted by business category.  We are also offering expanded listings, which will link to both your email and website, include your street address, and include a 25-word description of your business.  There is an annual charge of $25 for this listing.  For the first year, you can have from NOW until July 1, 2015 for a single charge.  (That is an extra 5 months!) 

Going forward, we hope to be able to allow you to offer specials or promotions to members, possibly to post small photos, etc.  We are open to suggestion as to how you would like to see this work.

To share your ideas or learn more, Lise Schleicher, info@shir-hadash.org.

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

No Shabbat Service February 14

Enjoy Shabbat at home this week, and plan to join us for services on Friday, February 21.

Volunteer Opportunities

Spread the Word: Join Our Marketing Team!

Help us get out the word about all the great events happening at Shir Hadash! We are looking for volunteers to help us with marketing in the following ways:

• Coffee Shop Flyer Brigade: Posting event flyers in local coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and places where kids’ activities are held.
• Public Relations Coordinator: Submit event announcement to online calendar listing and submit press releases to local media by email or online posting
• Patch Blogger: Post our weekly newsletter to four local Patch.com sites.
• Flyer Designer: Work with the Marketing Committee, event planners, and Rabbi Eitan to create flyers for upcoming events (some desktop publishing or design experience preferred).

All these activities are low time commitment for you, high impact for our community recognition! If you’re interested, please contact Rachel Siegel, Marketing Committee Chair, (847) 724-5720, rschicksiegel@comcast.net.

Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director

Purim Online

Looking for all things Purim online? Look no further than Jacob Richman's Purim Holiday Hotsite for 2014/5774.  Educational, musical, video, and all sorts of resources from around the world.

Lahaka (Adult Choir)

Our adult choir, Lahaka is meeting regularly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month at 7:30pm. If you like to sing and be part of a warm, friendly, fun-loving group, come join us. For more information contact Adrian Durlester at music.director@shir-hadash.org.

Education

No Sunday School This Week

We will have no classes on February 16 while our older students attend the Midwest Regional Kallah. See you all on February 23!

Visit the Education Director’s Blog

Education Director Emily Ascher’s blog has loads of pictures and news about everything happening at Religious School. Click here to see it all. 

Teen News

BBYO: Cosmic Bowing, March 1

Everyone is invited for an evening of Cosmic Bowling at Brunswick in Deerfield on Saturday, March 1st from 7:00 - 9:00.  $20 includes bowling, shoes, popcorn & soda. All 8th-12th graders are invited to this event. You don’t have to belong to BBYO or Shir Hadash – bring your friends! Please RSVP to raambbyo@gmail.com by February 24 so we know to save a spot for you.

Teen Volunteer Opportunity

Teens are invited to help with the set-up for the Shir Hadash Gala on Saturday, February 22 from 4:00 - 6:00pm at the Arboretum Club. Please contact Carole (youth@shir-hadash.org)  if you can help with the set-up for this event, or if you need more information.

JRF National Kallah

The weekend of March 21 - 23, 8th - 12th graders from Reconstructionist congregations across North America will have the opportunity to attend the exciting No'ar Hadash North American Teen Kallah -- to be held this year in Chicago! This amazing weekend will be a great opportunity for you to meet other teens, have fun, take part in experiential Jewish learning, sing and dance, hang out, explore Chicago, and be part of our exciting youth movement.

The cost of the weekend is only $375 for registration forms that are postmarked by March 3. Included in this amount are accommodations at the Embassy Suites Chicago - Downtown/Lakefront, meals (Friday dinner through Sunday breakfast), and all program and entry fees. Click here for registration and more info! 

Youth Ski Trip, February 21-22

Hit the slopes with Shir Hadash! All teens who are at least 14 years old and who have completed 8th grade are invited to come on an overnight ski trip to Cascade Mountain near Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Feb 21 and Saturday, Feb 22. Drop off will be at 5pm on Friday night in Northbrook.  On The Saturday, teens will be dropped off at their homes so that parents are able to attend the Shir Hadash Gala on Saturday night. Click here for detailed information on costs and registration  or contact Sandi Schleicher, 800‐897‐0533 (voice & fax).

 The Rabbi’s Corner

February 14-15, 2014 / 15 Adar I 5774

Shabbat Ki Tissa

Torah: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35 / Haftarah: I Kings 18:1 - 18:39

“Keep On Keeping On”

Dear Friends,

So we are a few weeks after marking our civil New Year’s Day and already we are having trouble keeping our resolutions.  No surprise. Changing our habits from bad to better ones is very hard to do.  It is very possible, but, nevertheless, very difficult to see through.  We grow very comfortable in our old habits, even if they were not the healthiest or best for us.  At the slightest chance of reverting back, many of us find the temptation just too compelling.  This is human nature back to Biblical times and even before that.

Consider this week’s Torah portion, Ki Tisa.  Moses has been up on Mt. Sinai alone for forty days and nights receiving the Ten Commandments.  There is no communication from the mountaintop down to camp – no tweets, Facebook updates, or even a casual phone call.  Nothing.  For all the Children of Israel know, Moses has died up there in the cold, thunder, and lightening and is never returning.  This is very frightening for a group of ex-slaves spending their first few weeks of freedom under the guidance of a new God.  It would make perfect sense to ask whether God has abandoned them or not.  So, in a time of fear and trial, why not revert back to their old ways by fashioning a golden calf and worshiping it, just the way they did back in Egypt….

Click here to read the rest of The Rabbi’s Corner on the Shir Hadash website. 

Adult Education

Crash Course in Basic Judaism

Five lessons that will change your life! Led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow, the class meets on Mondays: February 24, March 31, April 28, May 26, and June 9, 8 to 9:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.

The Book of Esther – An Interfaith Class

Our examination of the Book of Esther continues every Tuesday at 9:30 am through the end of February. Led by Rabbi Eitan and Our Lady of the Brook’s Deacon Peery Duderstadt, “The Book of Esther: Yours, Mine and Ours” offers an in-depth examination of the story of Esther from both Jewish and Catholic perspectives. All classes are at Shir Hadash, and newcomers are welcome. Click here to register. 

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

Join Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion.  This informal group meets on Thursdays from noon to 1:00 in the Shir Hadash Kitchen/Café. All are welcome.

Sunday Morning Adult Ed

We hope you will join us 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

Chicago A Capella Presents “Melodic Migrations”, February 15

The Chicago A Capella vocal ensemble presents “Melodic Migrations: Global Jewish Music” on this Saturday, February 15. This new program shines a spotlight on emotionally powerful and beautiful Jewish a cappella music from around the world, including South Africa, Canada, Europe and elsewhere. Benjamin Rivera, who has served as Shir Hadash’s High Holidays music director in the past, is a member of this excellent ensemble. The concert will be held at 7:30pm at the Nichols Concert Hall, 1690 Chicago Avenue in Evanston. Click here to visit the event website, or contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com for more information.

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine at OLB, April 3 & 4

Our Lady of the Brook parish invites Shir Hadash members for a special “scholar in residence” program featuring Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, author of The Misunderstood Jew – The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus. Dr. Levine will speak on Thursday evening, April 3, and Friday morning, April 4, at OLB, 3300 Dundee Road in Northbrook. More details on times will be coming soon.

Dr. Levine is University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies, and Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School and College of Arts and Science. Professor Levine combines historical-critical rigor, literary-critical sensitivity, and a frequent dash of humor with a commitment to eliminating anti-Jewish, sexist and homophobic theologies. Click here to learn more about her work.   Her presentations are free of charge and open to all. For more information, contact Deacon Peery Duderstadt, peery@olb.org.

SHOP Shir Hadash

SHOP for your Valentine!

SHOP is our congregation’s ongoing fundraiser – and the easiest way to support the shul without spending an extra dime! Purchase gift cards 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 http://shir-hadash.org/SHOP on the website.

Target - New ScripNow Retailer

Order $100 in Target GiftCards and Save at FTD.com!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, place a ShopWithScrip® order* between February 1 and

February 14, that includes at least $100 in Target GiftCards or ReloadNow®products, and you'll receive an email with a special link to receive $10 off almost every item at FTD.com.

Hyatt is now available in ScripNow and Reload, with denominations from $50 to $1000. Click here to see participating locations. 

Bonus Contributions available now:

• Boston Market – 2% to Feb. 14
• Landry’s – 1% to Feb. 14
• Restaurant.com – 10% to Feb. 21
• TGI Friday’s – 1% to Feb. 14

TGI Friday’s Bonus Bites: Get a FREE $5 TGI Fridays Bonus Bites electronic coupon simply by order TGI Fridays products on ShopWithScript.com redeemable between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, 2014.

Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:   

• Zinbarg
• Schleicher
• Fisher-Rohde
• Fargotstein
• Segal
• Singer
• G. Graff
• M. Graff
• Friedman
• Lewin
• Grills