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Happy Thanksgiving!
What’s Happening at a Glance
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- New! Rabbi Eitan Answers “What is Reconstructionism” on SH Website
- New! Shir Hadash Hanukkah Shop
- New! Lahaka Rehearsals for Lights & Miracles, December 4 and 10
- Chess Club, December 4
- Meditation Group, December 6
- New! Hands-On Hanukkah, December 7
- Reminder: Use SHOP for Your Gift Cards Needs
- Support Shir Hadash and Save with Entertainment Books
- Save the Date: Annual Gala at Pinstripes, February 7
- Book Club
- Shir Hadash Summer Family Trip to Israel, June 2015
- Shir Hadash Sunday Schmear n’ Starbucks
Creative Worship and Ritual
- No Shabbat Services This Week
- Help Plan Our New Saturday Worship Services
Volunteer Opportunities
- Thanks from the SH Board
- SHOP Needs You
- Update: PADS Shelter Volunteer Needs Fulfilled
- Holiday Gift Wrap at Barnes & Noble to Support Shir Hadash
- Special Thanks
The Rabbi’s Corner
- Thanksgiving: "To Bigotry No Sanction, To Persecution No Assistance"
Education
- No Sunday School November 30
- Link to Education Director's Blog
- School Chocolate Sale Fundraiser
Teen News
- Volunteer at Hands-On Hanukkah, December 7
- BBYO Ra’am Connect Event, December 7
- Ra’am Youth Board Elections
- Madrichim Notes
- J-Serve Chicago "Freedom Fest," December 14
Adult Education
- Crash Course in Jewish History Resumes on December 7
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Tuesdays
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes: No Class November 30
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Help Shir Hadash Earn Free Donations with iGive
- Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund
- Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
SHOP Shir Hadash
Membership and Upcoming Events
New! Rabbi
Eitan Explains Reconstructionism on SH Website
How many
times have friends asked you, “So what is Reconstructionism ?” Here’s your
answer – visit www.shir-hadash.org! The website now features a new video of
Rabbi Eitan explaining the history
behind the Reconstructionist movement and the philosophy of dynamic generational
change that is an inherent part of Judaism’s evolution. All in just three
minutes! Click here to
check out the video (enter the password SHIR) and share it with your friends.
Many thanks to Reba Meshulam for creating this great new resource!
New! Visit
the Shir Hadash Hanukkah Shop
Got Candles?
Hanukkah’s Almost Here! Make Shir Hadash your "one-stop shop" for Hanukkah
necessities! We have an assortment of
candles for your hanukkiah, decorations for your home, dreidels, gift bows,
cookie cutters, stickers and more! Check
out our selection before services (including Lights & Miracles) and during Religious School. Support Shir Hadash
and stock-up for Hanukkah!
New! Lahaka Rehearsals for Lights &
Miracles, December 4 and 10
Are you
interested in singing with the Lahaka at the Lights and Miracles service on
December 12? We will have rehearsals at the synagogue on Thursday, December 4
and Wednesday, December 10, from 7:30 to 9:00pm.
Our new Shir
Hadash Chess Club will meet weekly on Thursdays from 12:30-2:30pm. Our first
meeting is now planned for December 4. All skill levels are welcome. Please
bring your own chess set if possible. We would like to have at least four people
come to play. We do need to know how many people to expect, so please RSVP to
Gunther Rice at guntherrice@gmail.com.
Meditation Group, December 6
Several Shir
Hadashniks recently created a member-led meditation group. None of the group
members are trained meditation teachers, let alone a guru! Thus, the group is
intended primarily for people who already have some experience meditating and
are looking to help sustain (or perhaps restart) their practice by committing
to practice together on a regular basis.
However, "first-timers" are welcome as our group can provide
enough of an introduction to some of the basics that a first-timer will be able
to decide if they are interested in going on for more advanced learning with a
trained meditation teacher/expert.
We look
forward to practicing together on December 6 at 2:00pm at the synagogue, and
invite all other Shir Hadashniks who meditate to join us! For more information,
contact Rick Zinbarg, rzinbarg@northwestern.edu.
New! Hands-On Hanukkah, December 7
Shir Hadash
is one of the sponsors of “Hands-On Hanukkah” at the Deer Park Shopping Center’s
Barnes & Noble store. Families of all backgrounds are welcome! Here are all
the details:
When: Sunday,
December 7 at 3:00pm - 5:30pm
Where: Barnes
& Noble Booksellers, 20600 N Rand Road in Deer Park
What: Celebrate
Hanukkah through free, fun interactive activities and entertainment!
- Sing along with Rabbi Eitan
- Puppeteer, storyteller and educator Marilyn Price (show will begin at about 4:30pm)
- Face painting
- Photos with Danny the Dreidel
- Coloring activities
- Live musical entertainment
- Free raffle
Reminder: Use SHOP for your Gift Card Needs
You know
you’ll be giving out lots of gift cards in December – and when you buy them
from SHOP, you help Shir Hadash without paying a penny more! There’s a long
list of vendors offering special bonus donations in December, so be sure to
check out the SHOP section at the bottom of this newsletter for details and
then stop by the SHOP table at Sunday School on December 7 to stock up. For
more information about SHOP, contact Gina Zinbarg, gzinbarg@sbcglobal.net.
Support Shir Hadash and Save with
Entertainment Books
Purchasing
your 2015 Entertainment Book from Shir Hadash is a great way to support the
synagogue and save money at the same time!
For only $25 - a $10 discount on the list price - you’ll enjoy 50% off
and buy-one-get-one offers at hundreds of restaurants around Chicagoland like
D’Agostino’s, Walker’s Charhouse, Café La Cave, Monastero’s, Karma, Culver’s,
Buona Beef and more. You’ll save on
activities like Chicago Wolves games, Medieval Times and the Kohl Children’s
Museum as well as travel, retail, auto repair and rentals. As an Entertainment member, enjoy the
Entertainment mobile app – a wonderful way to save again and again with the
merchants you dine and shop with the most.
Entertainment Books are available for purchase before Friday evening
services, on Sundays during religious school and online here! For more
information, contact Carrie Matt by email at fundraising@shir-hadash.org or by
phone at 702-219-6584.
Save the Date -- Annual Gala at Pinstripes,
February 7
When you’re
planning your 2015 calendar, be sure to reserve February 7 from 7:00 to 11:00pm
for the Annual Shir Hadash Gala! This year’s celebration will be extra special
as we honor Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow on his 20th anniversary with
our congregation. The party will include silent auction items, a “Heads or
Tails” raffle, a delicious dinner, and entertainment by Felix & Fingers
Dueling Pianos. Watch for your invitation coming in December! If you would like
to be involved in planning this exciting event, please click here for more
information.
Book Club
The next
Book Club selection will be Pictures from
the Past by Deby Eisenberg. Our meeting will be held the second week of
January. Watch future editions of the newsletter for more details.
Shir Hadash Family Summer Trip to Israel,
June 2015
If you’ve
been considering a visit to Israel, here’s the perfect opportunity! Rabbi Eitan
and Dawn Weiner-Kaplow will lead a family tour of comprehensive sightseeing
from June 16 to 26, 2015. The trip will include visits to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv,
Haifa, Galilee, and a wide range of ancient and modern sites. The package
includes airfare, hotel, motor coach transportation, excursions, and much more.
Visit our website for a detailed package flyer and itinerary ,
or contact Dawn at dweinerkaplow@sbcglobal.net.
Get your Sunday Schmear and Starbucks at
Shir Hadash
What to do
while the kids are in Religious School?
Looking for fun on Sunday mornings?
Hungry while waiting for adult education to start? Come hang out with your fellow Shir
Hadashnicks and have Starbucks coffee and a bagel 'n schmear. Spend some fun time with your friends, bring
a newspaper, or just have a relaxing morning with a cup of Joe. All coffee and bagels proceeds benefit the
Synagogue.
Creative Worship and Ritual
No Shabbat Services This Week
Enjoy your
Shabbat celebration with family as you complete the Thanksgiving weekend.
Upcoming Services
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, December 5, 7:30pm
- Shabbat Morning and Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday, December 6, 9:30am
Help Plan Our New Saturday Worship Services
Based on
interest expressed by a number of members, Shir Hadash’s Creative Worship and
Ritual Committee is working on a plan to hold regular Saturday morning services
(in addition, of course, to our Friday night services). We have a few dates in mind for the initial
services, starting in January. Before
then, we want to get a group together to discuss and plan those services. If
you are interested in participating, please email the committee at
cwr@shir-hadash.org.
Volunteer Opportunities
At this time of
Thanksgiving, the Board wishes to give special thanks to those members who
volunteer at Shir Hadash. Our volunteers help in the office and in the school,
provide music and arts at our services, keep our committees running, run our
events and programs, help manage our beautiful new building, reach out to the
greater community, and generally make Shir Hadash the community that we are
proud to belong to and serve. May all our volunteers, and all our members,
enjoy a Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, and all of life’s bounty.
Our ongoing,
and vital, SHOP Shir Hadash fundraiser needs volunteers to staff our table at
Sunday School. It’s an easy job and a great chance to schmooze with other Shir Hadashniks!
Can you spare one Sunday morning to help – just one – from 9:00 to 12:30? Click here to sign up for a day of your choice on Shul Cloud, or contact Gina
Zinbarg, gzinbarg@sbcglobal.net, for more info.
Update: PADS Homeless Shelter Volunteer
Spots are Filled
Shir Hadash
has come through for the PADS homeless shelter in Buffalo Grove; we have filled
all our needs for volunteers and food donations on December 2. Thank you to all
our volunteers for your generous participation! We will have another
opportunity to help at PADS in the spring – watch future editions of the
newsletter for information.
Holiday Gift Wrapping at Barnes & Noble -- Supports Shir Hadash
Does the
mere mention of "Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel" or "Chestnuts
roasting on an open fire" make you tingle with excitement, yearning to
beat a path to the nearest mall? Here’s
a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the merry madness of the season and do a
mitzvah as well: Help raise funds for
Shir Hadash by wrapping gift purchases at Barnes and Noble's Deerfield Square
and Old Orchard locations.
We'll be
wrapping at two Barnes & Noble locations:
- Deerfield Square, 728 North Waukegan Road in Deerfield
- Sunday, November 30, 3:00 – 8:00pm (volunteers sign up for 3:00-5:30 or 5:30-8:00pm)
- Sunday, December 14, 3:00 -- 8:00pm (same shifts)
- Old Orchard, 55 Old Orchard Center in Skokie
- Sunday, November 30, 9:00am – 3:30pm (shifts from 9:00-12:15 or 12:15 – 3:30)
- Sunday, December 7, 9:00am – 3:30pm (same shifts)
- Sunday, December 14, 9:00am -- 3:30pm (same shifts)
- Tuesday, December 23, 3:30 – 10:00pm (shifts from 3:30 – 6:45 or 6:45 – 10:00pm
This is a
great way to get in the spirit of the season and raise funds for Shir
Hadash! Please sign-up for a shift (or
two or more) by clicking here. Questions? Contact Carrie Matt by phone at 702-219-6584 or by email at
fundraising@shir-hadash.org .
Special Thanks
We appreciate
Tammy Pomper and Rachel Siegel for volunteering their time to reorganize and
update the members’ name badges. It was a big job that will make all of our
lives a little easier – thanks!
The Rabbi’s Corner
November 27, 2014 / 5 Kislev 5775
Thanksgiving:
To Bigotry No Sanction, To Persecution No Assistance
Dear
Friends,
Back in
1790, one year before the Bill of Rights was ratified, George Washington
visited the Jewish community of New Port, Rhode Island. Following the visit, letters were exchanged
between Moses Seixas, leader of the Jewish community, and President
Washington. Those letters express the
very special essence of welcome, safety and prosperity that we Jews have
enjoyed here in America. The full texts
of the letters are printed here. I hope
you will read them at your Thanksgiving tables this year.
Happy
Thanksgiving!
L’Shalom (In
Peace),
Rabbi Eitan
Weiner-Kaplow
To read the
Rabbi’s Corner blog in its entirety, please click here.
Education
No Religious School on November 30
Enjoy
Thanksgiving Break, and we’ll see all our students back on December 7.
Education Director’s Blog
Check out “Drash Hadash,” compiled by our
Education Director Emily Ascher, for news about school and links to individual
class reports. 
School Chocolate Sale Fundraiser
Help us meet
our fundraising goal! Please pick up a box of delicious World’s Finest
Chocolate. It’s easy to sell at sports practice, the office, dance class –
anywhere. We’ll have an all-school ice cream party if we meet our goal by
December 14! For more information, contact Emily at eddirector@shir-hadash.org.
Teen News
Volunteer for Shir Hadash at Barnes &
Noble’s “Hands-On Hanukkah” December 7
Come help
out at Hands-on Hanukkah Sunday Dec. 7. It goes from 3:00-5:30pm at Barnes & Noble, 20600 N. Rand Road in Deer Park. We need a few teens to help as Face
Painters and we may also need some teens to help with Hanukkah Origami.
Rabbi Eitan will be playing guitar and singing for the first hour, and then
Marilyn Price will be doing puppet stories, too. It should be a festive, fun
volunteer opportunity. Contact Lynne Arons, rzldzl122@aol.com or Carole Mostow,
youth@shir-hadash.org, to volunteer.
BBYO Connect Hanukkah Party at Shir Hadash,
December 7
Join the Ra'am
BBYO Hanukkah Party! All Jewish boys and girls in 6th-8th grade are invited for
pizza, games and art while learning about BBYO. Bring all your of your friends
for this special event with BBYO Connect. Cover is $5 at the door. We’ll meet
on December 7 from 12:30 - 2:30pm at Shir Hadash.
Ra’am Youth Board Elections
Interested
in serving on the next Ra'am BBYO Youth Board?
Watch your e-mail for the packet of information for our upcoming
elections.
J-Serve Chicago “Freedom Fest,”
December 14
Each year, J-Serve Chicago marks an official day of Jewish youth
service. On Sunday, December 14, hundreds of Jewish teens will come together in
a day of advocacy against discrimination at J-Serve Chicago’s Freedom Fest!
This J-Serve event will take place at the Mayer Kaplan JCC, 5050 Church Street
in Skokie, from 1:30 to 4:30pm. The afternoon will include a social media
campaign, an advocacy walk, and a song session. J-Serve is open to students in
grades 7-12. Click here for more event information and registration.
Madrichim Notes
We will not have a Madrichim meeting in December. Please try to attend
the Lights and Miracles service on December 12.
Adult Education
Crash Course in Jewish History Resumes on
December 7
Sundays this
fall, 11:15 a.m.-12:25 p.m.
Topic for Dec. 7: The Modern Era (From
Napoleon and the Enlightenment through World War I)
Join Rabbi
Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and Dr. David Liebling for a journey through four thousand
years of Jewish history in our free, eight part lecture series. Crash Course in
Jewish History participants receive a free Companion Guide to Jewish History
and timelines to help them follow the key dates and events that have shaped
both Jewish and world history. This survey course enables participants to
develop an appreciation for the richness of their Jewish heritage throughout
the millennia, and will inspire interest in further exploration of their own
Jewish experience. This program is presented in conjunction with the National
Jewish Outreach Project. Click here for details.
Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan
Weiner-Kaplow
All are
invited to join Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and
contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. We now meet at noon on Tuesdays in the
conference room.
Sunday Morning Adult Ed – No Classes this
Week
School is
off on November 30, so our Sunday adult ed group will be off as well. Each
Sunday when Religious School is in session, Fred Andes leads a casual group as
we meet at the synagogue from 9:45 to 10:45 for coffee and engaging discussion
topics. All are welcome.
Ongoing Fundraisers
Help Shir Hadash Earn Free Donations with
iGive
You can help
Shir Hadash every time you shop online – the iGive Button makes it simple!
iGive is a free and easy way to support the shul. Average shoppers using iGive raise between
$30 and $100 a year for their causes. There are 1480 online retailers helping
to make donations happen through iGive.
Click here
to learn more and join iGive. If you have
questions, contact Sandi Schleicher, finance@shir-hadash.org.
Scholarship Fund
To help
families in financial need pay for their children’s Jewish education at Shir
Hadash, Melanie and Fred Andes created the Samuel I Andes Scholarship Fund in
memory of Fred’s great-uncle have graciously offered to match all donations to
the fund up to $11,000.00. Click here to donate online or mail in your check made out to Shir Hadash with
“Scholarship” written in the memo line.
Don’t Forget Our Permanent Restaurant
Fundraisers!
The Continental
Restaurant in Buffalo Grove and Butterfield’s Restaurant in Northbrook 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.
SHOP Shir Hadash
Be Thankful for 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 toShir 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.
SHOP
Needs Your Help!
Please sign up to staff the
SHOP table for a Sunday morning. Full details in the “Volunteer Opportunities” section above.
Get Low Denomination Gift
Cards While They Last!
We have a limited number of the following, special,
small denomination gift cards available, just in time for the holidays!
- Amazon.com Gift Cards $10
- AMC Theatres® $10
- Barnes & Noble $5
- CVS/pharmacy $10
- Groupon $10
- Meijer $10
- Outback $10
- Panera Bread® $5
- Pizza Hut $5
- Regal Entertainment Group $10
- Target $10
- Starbucks $5
- Walmart $5
Bonuses
Available Now:
- Meijer – 1% til November 28
- Restaurant.com – 15% til November 28
- Walgreen’s – 2% November 15 – 28
- Shutterfly – 2% November 15 – December 5
Bonuses Available Starting
November 29:
- AutoZone – 1% til December 12
- Bed Bath & Beyond – 1% til December 12
- Caribou Coffee – 1% til December 12
- Cenex – 1% til December 12
- Columbia – 1% til December 12
- CVS – 1% til December 12
- Express – 2% til December 12
- Home Depot – 1% til December 5
- Joann Fabric and Craft – 2% til December 12
- Journeys – 3% til December 12
- Lord & Taylor – 2% til December 12
- Panera – 2% til December 5
- PetSmart – 3% til December 12
- Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and PB Teen – 2% til December 12
- See’s Candies – 2% til December 12
- Stage – 3% til December 12
- Starbucks – 2% til December 19
- TGIFridays – 3% til December 12
- The Children’s Place – 1% til December 19
- West Elm – 2% til December 12
- Williams Sonoma – 2% til December 12
Gift
Card Holiday Wrappers Back in Stock
We have a colorful collection
of gift card holiday wrappers back in stock and available for ordering. These
colorful pre-cut glossy wrappers fold up to wrap your gift card in a fun,
festive package. It even gives you space to leave a name, gift card amount, and
a little note!
Today! It’s
Thank-Scriping-ing Day!
On November 27, from midnight to
11:59pm EST, partake in the highest rebate offers on popular ScripNow products
and get your electronic gift cards delivered to your ShopWithScrip account in
minutes – just in time for the biggest shopping day of the year!
To participate, make sure
that you are able to login to your ShopWithScrip account and place online
orders. Additionally, if you sign up for PrestoPay, ShopWith Scrip’s online
payment system, your ScripNow eCards will be available to print out within
minutes. Or go mobile this Thank-Scrip-ing season and access your eCards
through MyScripWallet on the go! You can, of course, still pay by check during
the 24-hour event – you just won’t receive your ScripNow until your coordinator
releases the order.
If you have any questions, please give one of our gift
card venders’ Customer Support Team a call at 800 727 4715 option 3, or send an
email to ShopWithScrip@glscrip.com
Thanks
to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Newman
- Herbin
- F. Farahmandpour
- G. Graff
- M. Graff
- Friedman
