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 Dengeo’s April 28
- “Israel in a Shifting Middle East” AIPAC Presentation, April 29
- Annual Meeting, May 18
- Book Club, May 1 (Note New Date)
- Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund
- Save the Date: JUF Fundraising Brunch, June 1
- Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
Creative Worship and Ritual
- “Pausing in the Wilderness”, Friday, April 25
- Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, April 26
Volunteer Opportunities
- Evanston Soup Kitchen, April 27
- Spring Landscape Clean-Up
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself”
Music Notes
- Lahaka Adult Choir
Education
- Visit the Education Director’s Blog
Teen News
- Shir Hadash Ra’am BBYO Announcements: Social Events, Meetings and More
Adult Ed
- Crash Course in Basic Judaism
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Donations
Community Events
- JCFS Response Groups for LGBTQ Youth and Family
Wellness Section
- This Week’s Wellness Tip: Consider the Clementine
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
New:
Dining for Dollars Fundraiser, April 28
We have an April
“Dining for Dollars” fundraising opportunity at Dengeos restaurant in Buffalo
Grove and Skokie! Come just down the road from our Synagogue and join our
Community for some food and fundraising. Come in anytime on Monday April 28, mention Shir Hadash , and 20% of your
purchases will be donated to Shir Hadash.
No flyer needed, just mention Shir
Hadash! Visit either location: 195
W. Dundee Rd, Buffalo Grove (just west of Buffalo Grove Rd.) or 3301 W. Main
St., Skokie.
“Israel in a Shifting Middle East” AIPAC Presentation, April 29
Each day,
the headlines usher in serious and unprecedented challenges that affect Israel’s
security and U.S. interests. AIPAC's Midwest Synagogue Initiative Director will
be coming to Shir Hadash to address these key issues and answer questions. Join
us for a discussion on a region in turmoil, action on Capitol Hill aimed at
addressing these issues, and why the United States and Israel are safer,
stronger and better together. The
program begins at 7:00 PM. Contact
Burton Kopulsky at (847) 291-7846 or oct13@ameritech.net for more
information.
Shir Hadash Annual Meeting, May 18
The Shir
Hadash 2014 annual meeting will be held on Sunday, May 18 at 9:30- to 11:30, in
the synagogue sanctuary. (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.) We will have a very full
agenda, including:
- Budget & Two-Year Plan Updates
- Land Sale Update
- Plans & Goals for Next Year
- Board Nominees’ Presentations
- Voting on Board Positions & Budget
Please plan
to attend this important meeting of our entire community.
Save the Date: JUF Fundraising Brunch, June
1
Shir Hadash
will be hosting our first ever JUF fundraising event on Sunday, June 1, at 10
am .The JUF funds a vital network of agencies that do the important work of
caring for people in need around the world and here in Chicagoland, and also of
nurturing the Jewish community. Now that we finally have a home of our own, it
is time for us to take our place in the Chicagoland synagogue community and
help support the JUF. Our guest speaker will be David Rubovits, Senior Vice
President of Planning and Allocations for the JUF/Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Chicago. Please mark your calendars and spend an hour with us
eating brunch and enjoying being a part of the Jewish community. For more
information, contact Rachel Schick-Siegel, rschicksiegel@comcast.net
Scholarship Fund
We are
thrilled to announce the creation of the Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund, a
need-based fund for children whose families cannot afford to pay for their
Jewish education at Shir Hadash. Melanie and Fred Andes have created this fund
in memory of Fred’s great-uncle Samuel I. Andes, who was a staunch advocate of
education, both religious and secular, and have graciously offered to match all
donations to the fund up to $11,000.00.
Many thanks to the following individuals
who have already contributed to the Scholarship Fund:
- Lise and Sandi Schleicher
- Luba Rothblatt
- Dawn and Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
- Rachel and Rick Siegel
- Andrea Idelman
- Phyllis Levun-Agostino
- Chantal and Glenn Graff
- Emily Ascher
- Lillian Zoloto
Please join
these generous members in making this fund an outstanding success. You can
donate online by clicking here,
or by mailing a check to Shir Hadash, 200 West Dundee Road, Wheeling, IL 60090.
(Make out checks to Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue and write
“Scholarship” on the memo line.) Thanks to Melanie and Fred, and to all the
donors supporting this effort!
Book Club, May 1
Our next book will be Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots, by Deborah Feldman. Our meeting date has been changed to May 1. Everyone is invited to join us at the Zwick family home, 385 Castlewood Lane in Deerfield. For more information, contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
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
“Pausing in the Wilderness”, Friday, April
25, 7:30pm
It’s a
uniquely Shir Hadash tradition! Our annual “Pausing in the Wilderness” service
is this Friday, April 25. For many years and in many different ways, our
Pausing service has celebrated the journey of the
the
Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land, and our own journeys as Jews in
modern times. And this year, we have
come up with a new and different way to "Pause in the Wilderness," which
takes full advantage of the fact that this is our first Pausing in our new
home.
To help us
"walk in the shoes" of the Children of Israel, this Friday's service
will have us taking a journey of our own.
But instead of taking a journey of the mind, we will take a journey
through our building to discovery our identities as Jews. At each family-friendly stop in our journey
through the building, we will have fun activities for the group, such as music,
dance, poetry, and craft. These
activities will allow us to express a personal sense of three key concepts in
Judaism: Belonging, Behaving, and Believing.
When we gather back in the sanctuary for the conclusion of the service,
our journey will culminate in a celebration of Jewish community and
togetherness - including singing, dancing and blowing our shofars!
So bring
your shofar and help us make a joyous noise!
And don't forget to bring something for oneg - maybe something that you
would bring along on a desert journey? Be
sure to invite your friends for this engaging celebration of our community and
heritage.
Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, April
26, 9:30am
We will
celebrate the B’nai Mitzvah of Sari & Justin Stark, children of Randi &
Steven Stark.
Volunteer Opportunities
Evanston Soup Kitchen, April 27
On Sunday,
April 27, we 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). Each family will be responsible for bringing an entrée that will
feed 15 to 20 individuals, one gallon milk, one gallon orange juice, one large
bag frozen mixed vegetables, one large bag of fruit, and dessert. If you are interested in helping, please
contact Mark Lenhart at mjlenhart@comcast.net ASAP. Thanks!
New:
Spring Landscape Cleanup at Shir Hadash, April 27 and May 4
Please join
us to get the outside of the building looking great for summer! Volunteers will
help with weeding, pruning, transporting mulch, and clean-up of garden beds. No
previous gardening experience is necessary, and children are welcome.
Dates (join
us for one or both days)
- Sunday, April 27 - 9:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- Sunday, May 4 - 9:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Some
equipment will be provided. Additional garden tools such as gloves; edgers;
pruning shears; wheelbarrows, etc. are welcome! For more information, contact
Rachel Siegel, rschicksiegel@gmail.com, 847-528-8476.
The Rabbi’s Corner
April 25-26, 2014 / 26 Nisan 5774
Day 11 of the Omer
Shabbat Kedoshim
Torah Portion:
Leviticus 19:1-20:27 / Haftarah Portion: Amos 9:7-15
“Love Your
Neighbor as Yourself”
Dear
Friends,
I love this
story from Genesis Rabbah. It reminds me
so much of spring!
Some
passengers were sitting on a ship, when one of them took a drill and began to
bore a hole into the wood under his seat.
The other passengers protested to him and said, “What are you doing?
Stop drilling.” He said to them, “What
should you care? This is my seat and I
want to bore a hole under it.” The
retorted, “But the water will come in and drown all of us.”
Spring? Why does it remind me of spring? Because, now that the winter is ending, we
are finally venturing outside where we will rediscover our neighbors. We’ll fix
up our homes and start planting our gardens.
For me, spring is when I am reminded that I live in community with those
around me….
To read the
rest of the Rabbi’s Corner on our website, click here.
Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director
Lahaka (Adult Choir)
Come Join Us - We're Already
Looking Forward to High Holidays!
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.Be on the lookpout for information on our summer and High
Holidays rehearsal schedule. We will be starting to learn new and review old
repertoire for High Holidays right after Passover, so come join us in May as we
begin our work to prepare for a meaningful musical Rosh Hashanah and Yom
Kippur. For more information contact Adrian Durlester,
music.director@shir-hadash.org
Education
Visit the Education Director’s Blog
Education
Director Emily Ascher’s blog has news about everything happening at Shir Hadash
Religious School. This week’s edition includes a photo-filled recap of our
wonderful Yom Tikkun Olam Family Day of Service. Click here to see it.
Teen News
Ra’am Board Meeting, May 1.
The Ra’am
BBYO Chapter Board’s next meeting is Thursday, May 1 at 7:00pm at Shir Hadash.
Please send agenda items to Alyssa by Monday.
Stand Up Event for Ra’am BBYO, May 18
Chapter
members and friends: join us for a fun program to spread the awareness of
inclusion. Learn the importance of accepting other and being kind in everyday
life. Meet at Shir Hadash on May 18 from 7:00-8:30pm.
New: Havdalah & DANCE with Ra’am & Shabak BBYO, May
10 at Temple Beth El in Northbrook:
All 8th to 12th graders are
invited to a great regional program. Shir Hadash Ra'am teens will lead
Havdalah at 7:00 followed by a super fun dance with 2 DJs including a sound and
lighting spectacle. The evening runs from 7:00 to 10:00pm. You don't need to
belong to BBYO to attend this event, which is co-sponsored by Ra'am and Shabak
chapters. $5.00 admission, payable at the door. See you there!
Teen Seder Recap
Shir Hadash teens enjoyed the
traditions of a seder with a twist. We got to substitute chocolate milk for
wine and several dessert treats for the various symbols of the service. Best of
all, we got to hang out together and enjoy the holiday.
Adult Education
NEW! Crash Course in Basic Judaism
Monday evenings (4/28, 5/26, and 6/9), 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Taught by
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
There are
three sessions still to come in the Rabbi’s crash course, exploring topics like
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
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 General Fund, in Memory of Lillian
Cohen
- Janie & Brad Baskin
- The Scully Family
Community Events
JCFS Response Groups
Response, an
agency of JCFS, offers the following programs for LGBTQ teens and their
families. All programs are located at the Response office, 9304 N. Skokie Blvd
in Skokie.
Parent and Family Connections
This group
for Jewish parents and family members of LGBTQ youth offers support and
education at its monthly meetings. The next meeting will be April 28 from 7:00
to 8:30pm. Light refreshments will be served. Click here to view the program
flyer. Please RSVP to Rachel Marro,
RachelMarro@jcfs.org, or call 224 625 2946.
Alliance for LGBTQ Teens
Wellness Section
This Week’s Wellness Tip – Consider the
Clementine
Want to
bring a treat to the office (or temple)? A box of Cuties or Halos is a great
alternative to a box of donuts. They are sold everywhere and are currently in
season when many fruits are not. One Cutie clementine has 35 calories and 9
grams of sugar. Compare that to a donut with 250-300 calories and 28-40 grams
of sugar!
Many thanks to SH member Jennifer Dumrauf
for her wellness tips. Watch future issues for more great ideas!
SHOP Shir Hadash
Spring into SHOP!
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.
Bonus
Contributions Now Available:
- 1-800 Flowers – 3% through May 2
- American Eagle Outfitters – 2% through April 25
- Bath & Body Works – 5% through May 2
- BonTon – 2% through May 2
- Boscov’s – 2% through May 2
- Build-a-Bear – 2% through April 25
- Burlington – 1% through April 25
- Dell – 2% through May 9
- Express – 2% through April 25
- Hallmark – 2% through April 25
- Home Depot – 1% through May 2
- JC Penney – 3% through May 2
- Landry’s – 3% through May 2
- Logan’s Roadhouse – 2% through May 2
- Sally – 1% through May 2
Starting April
26:
- AMC Theatres – 5% through May 9
- Bed Bath & Beyond – 1% through May 9
- iTunes – 5% through May 2
- Regis Salon – 2% through May 2
- Spafinder – 2% through May 9
- Stage – 3% through May 9
- Staples – 5% through May 9
New Small
Denomination Cards - Limited Time Only!
Through May 23,
or while supplies last, the following plastic gift cards will be available:
- AMC Theatres® $10
- Amazon.com Gift Card $10
- Barnes & Noble $5
- CVS/pharmacy $10
- Pizza Hut $5
- Panera Bread® $5
- Regal Entertainment Group $10
- Target $10
- Starbucks $5 Teacher Card
- Walmart $10
Thanks to the
following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Allen
- Weiner-Kaplow
- Fisher-Rohde
- Idelman
- Zwick
- Friedman
- Weiss
- Grills
