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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Shir Hadash Weekly Newsletter -- March 27, 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! Pizza Dinner and Movie Night, April 5
  • Passover Second Night Seder, April 15
  • Save the Date: Annual Meeting, May 18
  • Be Kind – Donate In-Kind!
  • Help Shir Hadash by Shopping Smart at iGive
  • Book Club
  • Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
Creative Worship and Ritual
  • Spring Tot Shabbat and Family Services
Volunteer Opportunities
  • Passover Food Baskets
Music Notes
  • Lahaka Adult Choir
Education
  • Spring Break: No School March 29
  • Visit the Education Director’s Blog
  • Religious School Open House, April 6
  • Yom Tikkun Olam, April 13
Teen News
  • Shir Hadash Ra’am BBYO Announcements
  • Teen Hangout March 27
Adult Ed
  • Crash Course in Basic Judaism
  • Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
  • Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Wellness Section
  • This Week’s Wellness Tip
Community Events
  • Dr. Amy-Jill Levine at OLB, April 3 & 4
SHOP Shir Hadash

Membership and Upcoming Events


New! Movie Night and Pizza Dinner, April 5
To get everyone in the mood for Passover, we will be showing the animated movie The Prince of Egypt.  And given that Passover will not yet have started, we will be having a fun pizza dinner before the movie.  Click here for details and registration.

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.

Save the Date: Annual Meeting, May 18
The Shir Hadash 2014 annual meeting will be held on Sunday, May 18 at 9:30am at the synagogue. (Since that is also the last day of Religious School for the year, the meeting will be followed at 11:30 by the annual School Assembly.) At the meeting, the Board will share important long-term plans for the synagogue, and the members will be asked to vote on nominees for open positions on the Board and to approve the Shir Hadash 2014-15 budget. Please plan to attend this important meeting of our entire community.

Be Kind – Donate In-Kind!
Did you know that Shir Hadash has an evolving wish list of items needed around the building? If you’re doing some spring cleaning, organizing your office, or exploring a local garage sale, keep an eye out for items that would be useful for the synagogue. Click here for some ideas of things that we need – and thank you! http://sh.shulcloud.com/in-kind-donations.html
Help Shir Hadash by Shopping Smart at iGive
iGive is another great way to help Shir Hadash raise much-needed funds, without spending an extra dime yourself. Every time you shop at any of the 1,400+ online stores in the iGive network, a portion of the money you spend benefits Shir Hadash. It's a free service, and you'll never pay more when you reach a store through iGive. In fact, smart shoppers will enjoy iGive's repository of coupons, free shipping deals, and sales. To get started, just create your free iGive account by visiting www.iGive.com/shir-hadash. Thanks for your support!

Book Club
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 at the Zwick family's home, 385 Castlewood Lane 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 Services on April 4 - Preparing for Passover, Plus K-3 Family Service
On Friday, April 4, our regular service at 7:30 will be focused on preparing for Passover, which is coming up very soon.  To start the celebration as a community (which will culminate in our Community Seder on April 15), we would like you to bring to this service your way of celebrating Passover, to share with others.  So, bring your Haggadah, and we can compare the different versions that people use.  (Maybe you'll find a new one that you like better!)  Bring your Passover songs and stories.  (Maybe someone will want to learn them, to use at their Seder.)  And be sure to bring some Passover food, to share at the oneg.  (Home-made or store-bought, both are OK.)


And before that service, we will have our monthly program for families with young children, with the Rabbi and Lauren Shook.  This time, we have our Family Service, for kids in K-3 and their families.  The program starts at 6:15.  Come and enjoy!

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 this Sunday, March 30 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 6 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.
If you are interested in helping on one or both of these dates, please contact Mark Lenhart, mjlenhart@comcast.net for details.

Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director


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 at music.director@shir-hadash.org

Education


Spring Break: No School March 30
Enjoy your break and we’ll see you back at school on April 6!

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.

Religious School Open House, April 6
Make sure to tell your friends about our Religious School Open House on Sunday, April 6, from 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. We want to share our school with more children and more families! Email eddirector@shir-hadash.org for more information.

Yom Tikkun Olam--Sunday, April 13th
Shir Hadash  will hold our Annual Day to Repair the World (Yom Tikkun Olam) on Sunday, April 13. This day is our day to give back and make a difference in the world. Our religious school students and their families, along with members of the congregation will participate in activities that will inspire all of us to continue to make a difference. The Education Committee is in the process of organizing the day, but we want to make sure you save the date and that you invite your friends to participate. YTO (Yom Tikkun Olam) is a meaningful day of fun.

Teen News


Shir Hadash Ra’am BBYO Announcements
Four things to note on your calendar, BBYO members and friends:
  • BBYO Spring Convention for Great Midwest Region: April 25-27 at the Westin in Wheeling. Register on-line.: http://b-linked.bbyo.org/event/72126. Apply before April 1: $260. After April 1 the fee increases to $290. Scholarships are available - apply directly to gmr@bbyo.org.
  • 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. Well be doing some baking for Passover. Watch for more details to come.
  • Save the Date, Part II Raam BBYO Teen Seder, April 17. Again, details coming soon!

New: Teen Hangout, March 27
All teens invited!  Come to the Shir Hadash Teen Lounge to hang out, play games, talk,  and spend time with your friends. See you tonight, Thursday, March 27 from 7:00 to 8:30pm.

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
Sunday morning classes will be on break March 23 and 30, along with the rest of the Religious School. We hope you will join us in April 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.

Wellness Section


This Week’s Wellness Tip -- Take a Hike (or At Least, a Walk)
Every additional step in a day makes a positive contribution to your health. Get used to the back of the parking lot and the stairwell, and you’ll find yourself a lot closer to the front of the pack in terms of fitness.
Many thanks to SH member Jennifer Dumrauf for her wellness tips. Watch future issues for more great ideas!




Community Events


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, Professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Dr. Levine will make two presentations at OLB, 3300 Dundee Road in Northbrook:

  • Thursday, April 3 at 7:00pm: “Jesus the Jewish Storyteller: Hearing the Parables in Historical Context – revealing the surprising ways that Jesus’s first followers might have understood his teachings
  • Friday, April 4 at 9:00am: “Understanding Jesus Requires Understanding Judaism” – analyzing first-century Jewish views of Torah, Messiah, Temple, gender, and more.
Dr. Levine’s presentations are free of charge and open to all. To ensure enough materials, please register at Levine@olbparish.org or call the OLB office at 847 272 5686.

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.

New ScripNow retailer: American Eagle Outfitters

Celebrate NCAA® March Madness® with B-Dubs® 
B-Dubs will be planning a couple of very special offers to take place throughout the tournament.  For a limited time, a special edition NCAA March Madness faceplate will be available for B-Dubs eCards. 

Bonus Contributions:
Available Now:
  • AMC Theatres – 5% through March 28
  • iTunes – 10% on ScripNow eCards, 5% on physical cards, through March 28
  • Journeys—3% through April 4
  • Athleta – 2% through April 4
  • Banana Republic – 2% through April 4
  • Gap – 2% through April 4
  • JoAnn Fabrics – 2% through April 4
  • Legal Sea Foods – 2% through April 4
  • Old Navy – 2% through April 4
  • Piperlime -- 2% through April 4
  • See’s Candies – 1% on $25 card ONLY through April 4
  • Shutterfly – 2% through April 4
  • The Children’s Place – 1% through April 18
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:   
  • Zinbarg
  • Schleicher
  • Fisher-Rohde
  • Idelman

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