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
- Town Hall Meeting Report
- Purim Bake Sale, March 16
- Save the Date: Passover Second Night Seder, April 15
- Book Club
- Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Morning Service, March 15
- Upcoming: Shabbat Service with Special Guest Speaker, March 21
- Spring Tot Shabbat and Family Services
Volunteer Opportunities
- Passover Food Baskets
Music Notes
- Purim Online
- Lahaka Adult Choir
Education
- Visit the Education Director’s Blog
- Purim Festivities, March 16
- Yom Tikkun Olam, April 13
Teen News
- Shir Hadash Ra’am BBYO Announcements
- Purim Carnival, March 16
- Junior High “Late Night” at Skokie JCC
- JRF National Kallah, March 21-23
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “Zachor – Remember”
Adult Ed
- Crash Course in Basic Judaism
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Donations
Wellness Section
- This Week’s Wellness Tip
Community Events
- Congregation Or Chadash Explores “Judaism with a Queer Perspective”
- Dr. Amy-Jill Levine at OLB, April 3 & 4
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
Report from the Town Hall Meeting
Thanks to everyone who participated in the Shir Hadash Town
Hall Meeting on Sunday afternoon. It provided a great opportunity to review the
challenges we have encountered in the last several months, as well as the many
accomplishments we have achieved. Our board members also gave us preview of
“coming attractions” that we have to look forward to in 2014/2015. If you would
like to review the information presented at the meeting, click here for a summary of the meeting and click here to view the slide show presentation.
Probably the
most exciting announcement concerned the opportunity to sell part of the
synagogue’s undeveloped property, to the east of the building, to the LaSalle
Group for their Autumn Leaves project, a proposed assisted living residential
community. In return for the sale of 1.1 acres of our property nearest Dundee
Road, Shir Hadash will receive a sale price roughly equivalent to the current
balance on our existing mortgage.
Additionally, Shir Hadash will receive 32 additional deeded parking
spots in the new Autumn Leaves lot and approximately an acre of land in the
property to the east of us, which is also being acquired by the LaSalle Group.
This new property configuration will allow us to develop a variety of open
field, garden, and sacred space options, most of the cost of which will be
covered by LaSalle Group. Our Board has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent
to move forward with this sale, and the Wheeling Village Board has approved the
referral of the Autumn Leaves proposal to the Village’s planning commission.
The slide show includes maps, sketches, and
details about this outstanding opportunity for our congregation. More
information will be available at the Annual Meeting in May. If you have
questions in the meantime, please contact Jeff Wallk, president@shir-hadash.org.
Purim Bake Sale, March 16
Come one,
come all to our Purim Bake Sale on Sunday, March 16, 2014 during Sunday School
hours. The amazing bakers of Shir Hadash
will be sending in lots of yummy goodies for your enjoyment. Proceeds from the Bake Sale will benefit our
Sunday School by funding much needed special equipment for the classrooms.
Bakers,
please contact Katy Zwick, katyzwick@gmail to let us know what you'll be
bringing to the sale. Please also
indicate if your treats are gluten free or if they have nuts.
This event
is not only for people who have students in our school. It's for everyone! Instead of going to the bakery this weekend,
please come and support the Sale and bring home some fabulous treats for you
and your family. See you this Sunday, March 16, from 9:00am -
noon.
Save the Date: Passover Community Second
Seder, April 15
Everyone is
invited to share in the annual Shir Hadash Community Second Seder, to be held
at the synagogue on Tuesday, April 15 beginning at 6:00pm. Watch your emails
and future newsletters for more details. Questions? Contact Melanie Andes,
fmandes@comcast.net.
Book Club
The Shir
Hadash Book Club met in February for a lively discussion of the book Second Person Singular by Sayed Kashua.
Our group of eleven men and women explored questions of identity in the context
of Arab Israelis living in Jerusalem.
Many thanks to Melanie Andes for hosting us!
Our next
book will be Unorthodox: The Scandalous
Rejection of my Hasidic Roots, by Deborah Feldman. Everyone is invited to
our meeting, to be held on April 24 in Deerfield. Watch the newsletter for more
details coming soon.
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 Service Saturday, March 15
There will
be no Friday evening service this week. On Saturday morning, our community will
celebrate Shabbat with a bar mitzvah service, beginning at 9:30 am.
Upcoming: Special Guest Speaker for
Shabbat, March 21
On Friday, March
21, Shir Hadash welcomes a very special guest speaker for our evening Shabbat
service. Matt Rothschild is the Publisher and Senior Editor of The Progressive magazine and web site. The
Progressive is a prominent liberal publication that has been around for more
than a hundred years, speaking out on many critical issues. Matt happens to be the brother of our member Katy
Zwick, and he has agreed to come and talk with us about a very current subject:
"Our Vanishing Civil Liberties."
What better topic as we approach Passover, our festival of freedom? Bring a friend to hear what Matt has to say!
Spring Tot Shabbat and Family Services
This Spring,
Shir Hadash will host several early Friday evening services, perfect for
families with younger kids! Tot Shabbat
is for kids up to age 6, Family Services are geared to grades K-3. Each service has stories, songs and special
activities designed for these age groups. Invite your friends! These family
services are a great way to introduce young families to Shir Hadash; all are
welcome.
These
special services are at the kid-friendly times of 6:15 - 7:00pm on selected
Friday evenings:
- April 4 Family Service
- May 2 Tot Shabbat
- June 6 Family Service
We also need
families to volunteer as greeters for these services, to welcome guests and let
people know all about the Shir Hadash community. If you can help with this important mitzvah,
please contact Suzanne Wexler, volunteer@shir-hadash.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
Passover Food Baskets
Once again
this year, Shir Hadash will be joining with Maot Chitim of Greater Chicagoland
to help them pack and deliver Passover food baskets for needy Jewish families
all over the Chicago area. There are two
different ways you can help, either packing food boxes or delivering them.
- Packing will take place on Sunday, March 30th from 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. The address for the packing is 3411 Woodhead Drive, in Northbrook.
- Delivery of food packages will take place on Sunday, April 6th, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Buffalo Grove/Wheeling area. We will be delivering 105 food packages, which will be in large boxes weighing approximately 20 lbs. each. We deliver to several large complexes and use a rental truck to transport the boxes.
To make this
a smooth operation, we need approximately 10 people for packing on March 30th
and about 10 - 15 people for delivery on the April 6th. If you are interested in helping on one or both
of these dates, please contact Mark Lenhart, mjlenhart@comcast.net
Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director
Fun Purim Videos - Get Ready for Our Purim
Celebration on Sunday, March 16!
Here are
some of my favorite new Purim videos on YouTube.
Michele
Citrin - Shake Your Gragger
Last year,
the Maccabeats released this cut and paste version of their
"Candlelight" Hanukkah song to celebrate Purim.
Some other
classics from past years:
Maccabeats - Purim
Enjoy! Be
sure to join us at Shir Hadash this Sunday, March 16 at 10:20am for our Purim
festivities. Wear a costume! Come be part of our celebration as we tell the
story of Purim in a fun and musical way.
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 Mr. D.
music.director@shir-hadash.org
Education
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.
Sunday School Purim Festivities, March 16
We are
thrilled to announce a Shir Hadash Day of Purim Festivities! Teachers and
Students are encouraged to wear costumes.
Schedule for
the Day:
- 9:15 a.m. -10:15 a.m Purim Studies (students go to their classrooms)
- 10:20 a.m. - 11:20 a.m. Purim Shpiel (All Members Welcome), Costume Parade (with Prizes), and More
- 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Shir Hadash Youth-Run Purim Carnival – see Teen News below for ticket information.
Join in with
the fun! Any parents, members, or students interested in helping with any
aspect of our Day of Purim Festivities, please email Education Director Emily
Ascher at eddirector@shir-hadash.org or Music Director Adrian Durlester at
music.director@shir-hadash.org
Yom Tikkun Olam, April 13
The
Education Committee is looking for help with our Annual Yom Tikkun Olam (Day to
Repair the World), to be held on Sunday, April 13th. If you have ideas and/or
would be available to lead a group that Sunday, please contact Education
Director Emily Ascher at eddirector@shir-hadash.org.
Teen News
Shir Hadash Ra’am BBYO Announcements
Three things
to note on your calendar, BBYO members and friends:
- Important!! Our Board meeting has been rescheduled to April 10 at 7:00pm. If you are in charge of an April event, please be sure to submit your outline at least three weeks prior to the event date.
- Save the Date, Part I -- Connect event for 6th-8th graders, April 13. We’ll be doing some baking for Passover. Watch for more details to come.
- Save the Date, Part II – Ra’am BBYO Teen Seder, April 17. Again, details coming soon!
Purim Carnival Sponsored by Shir Hadash Youth and Ra’am
BBYO, March 16
Our first Shir
Hadash Youth and Ra'am BBYO-run Purim Carnival will be held from 11:30 to 1:00 on Sunday, March
16, after a shortened Sunday School day (featuring a Purim spiel and Megillah
reading). We will offer a pizza lunch, bake sale, games, and prizes. Tickets
will be sold in $5 increments.
JRF National Kallah
Just one
week away! 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.
REGISTER
NOW! 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! http://www.noarhadash.org/chicago/
The Rabbi’s Corner
March 14-15, 2014 / 13 Adar II 5774
Torah: Leviticus 6:1 - 8:36
Maftir: Deuteronomy 25:17 - 25:19 (Zachor)
Haftarah: I Samuel 15:2 - 15:34 (Zachor)
“Zachor -
Remember”
Dear
Friends,
There are
bullies in the playground. Russia has
just made a grab for Crimea. Iran edges
closer and closer to attaining nuclear weapons. North Korea is sabre rattling.
The Chinese are flexing muscle in the South China Sea. Hamas, Hizbullah, The
Muslim Brotherhood, Al Qaida, and other terrorists are waiting their chance to
hurt, maim, and kill the innocent.
As we Jews
approach the joyous and raucous celebration of the Purim festival this Sunday,
there is a very sobering message to be read on Shabbat morning. Zachor – remember! Lo Tishkach – do not forget! Remember what?
That the tribe of Amalek once tried to destroy our people on their way from
Egypt to the Promised Land. Amalekites
lay in ambush and picked off the slow, the weak, and the stragglers. What should we never forget? That Amalek
returned time and time again throughout Jewish history to attack us when we
were at our weakest….
Click here
to read the rest of The Rabbi’s Corner on the Shir Hadash website.
Adult Education
NEW! Crash Course in Basic Judaism
Monday evenings (3/31. 4/28, 5/26, and 6/9), 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Taught by
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
In this
free, five-part crash course, Rabbi Weiner-Kaplow will explore: Belief in God,
Prayer, The Shabbat, Jewish Observance and Sexuality. Participants will learn
the basics of Judaism and receive a free copy of the Companion Guide chock-full
of thought-provoking, extra-curricular reading to enhance their understanding
and appreciation of the depth and breadth of Judaism. This program is presented
in conjunction with the National Jewish Outreach Project. All are welcome:
members and non-members, Jews and non-Jews, family and friends. Click here to view our program flyer.
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.
Donations
To the Capital Campaign
Sandi and
Lise Schleicher, in memory of Hooshang Khoshbin, father of Housh Khoshbin.
Wellness Section
This Week’s Wellness Tip – Drink More
Water!
Our bodies
are made up of 75-80% water, and we need it to live. Drinking sodas and other
high-sugar drinks add 150-200 calories and 25-50 grams of sugar per serving.
This contributes to weight gain, decay of the teeth, heart disease, and type 2
diabetes. Even diet sodas have been associated with extra pounds compared to
people who stick with H20. Increase your consumption of water to six to eight
glasses of water per day to hydrate you, improve your skin, enhance digestion,
lose weight, and help your body rid itself of accumulated toxins. So when
you’re thirsty, raise a glass of water – it’s always the best choice!
Many thanks to SH member Jennifer Dumrauf
for her wellness tips. Watch future issues for more great ideas!
Community Events
Congregation Or Chadash Explores “Judaism
with a Queer Perspective”
Congregation
Or Chadash will present a free seven session course, “Hidur Keshet:
Strengthening the Rainbow-Judaism with a Queer Perspective,” beginning March
20, at 5959 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago. The presentations will run on Thursday
evenings from 7:00 to 9:00pm from March 20 to May 8 (excluding April 17, the
week of Passover). The course will create an affirming space for students to
discover, celebrate, and intertwine Queer and Jewish identities. It is open to
anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, interested in exploring the topic
of Queer Jewish thought and practice. Registration is due by March 18. For more
information, click here.
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine at OLB, April 3 & 4
SHOP Shir Hadash
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
on the website.
Bonus Contributions:
Available Now:
- Applebee’s—2% through March 21
- Bass Pro Shops – 4% through March 14
- Bed Bath & Beyond—1% through March 21
- Cabela’s—1% through March 21
- Lowe’s—1% through March 14
Beginning March
15:
- AMC Theatres – 5% March 15 through 28
- iTunes – 10% on ScripNow eCards, 5% on physical cards, March 15 through 28
- Journeys—3% March 15 through April 4
Thanks to the
following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Fisher-Rohde
- Idelman
- Weiner-Kaplow
- Grills
- Friedman
- Farahmandpour
- Estes-Goldman
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