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
- Dinner-and-a-Movie Night, December 25
- MOSH (Men of Shir Hadash) Get-Together, December 20
- Shir Hadash Women’s Group Launches January 7
- Lights and Miracles Photos
- Announcing the First Shir Hadash Cookbook and Top Chef Event
- Book Club
Creative Worship and Ritual
- This Week: Shabbat Evening Service, December 18, 7:30pm
The Rabbi’s Corner
- "The Young Adults in Our Lives"
Education
- Sunday School December 20
- Winter Break, December 27 and January 3
- New! Family Shabbat Service Featuring 3rd Grade, Friday, January 8
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Schedule
- Sunday Morning Specials -- Bagels, Coffee, and Football on TV!
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbis, Thursdays
Teen News
- Invite Convention, January 22-24
Donations
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Help Shir Hadash Earn Free Donations with iGive
- Fundraising Opportunity with Amazon Smile
- Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund
- Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Shir Hadash Dinner-and-a-Movie, December 25
What's a Jew to do on December 25? Come to Shir Hadash for dinner -- Chinese food! -- and watch
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! Dinner is being catered by Szechwan Kingdom in Northbrook and will be at 5:00pm, with the movie following dinner. We will also have a potluck dessert after the movie. Dinner is $20 for adults, $13 for kids age four through 12, and free for kids three and under.
Please
click here to register -- the deadline is
Tuesday, December 22. Any questions? Call the office at 847 498 8218 or contact Melanie Andes at fmandes@comcast.net.
MOSH (Men of Shir Hadash) Get Together, December 20
Mark your calendar for an afternoon of Bears football and pizza at the home of Dan Wellisch, 14 Whitehall Court in Buffalo Grove. We will also start making plans for MOSH events in 2016. Come at 12:45 (or whenever you can arrive after Sunday school). More details will be coming by email. Please RSVP to Dan at 847 254 9355 or danwellisch@gmail.com.
Shir Hadash Women’s Group Launches January 7
We are excited to announce the formation of "Women of Shir Hadash" (official group name in the works) which will have its first informal get-together in January. At this event, we will discuss our interests and focus on what this new group could be. It is not a committee! The groups can be social, spiritual, philanthropic – whatever its members would like to pursue.
The inaugural event will be held on Thursday, January 7 at 7:30pm at the home of Julie Wellisch, 14 Whitehall Court in Buffalo Grove. Refreshments will be served. We are looking forward to a fun and engaging evening with input from any adult women who would like to participate. For more information, contact Julie at juliewellisch@gmail.com.
Lights and Miracles Brings Community Together
A jubilant, standing-room-only crowd celebrated Hanukkah together at our annual Lights and Miracles service on December 11. Everyone sang, danced, and illuminated the room with glow-sticks -- a wonderful Shir Hadash tradition that keeps getting better. Our youngest members also celebrated at an early Family Service designed especially for them. To see all our photos,
visit our album on Facebook. Hope you all had a very Happy Hanukkah!
Announcing the Shir Hadash Cookbook -- Submit Recipes by December 21
We are going to publish the first ever Shir Hadash cookbook in Spring 2016, and we need your recipes! We want our cookbook to reflect our diverse membership, so please submit your family favorites, Sephardic specialties, gluten-free recipes, etc.
The cookbook will be professionally published and contain special pages of interest, a table of contents, an index, helpful cooking hints, and recipe category dividers. Please submit three to five of your favorite recipes. We will strive to include at least one of your recipes.
Recipes are due by December 21, 2015. Visit our website for details and submission forms.
In conjunction with the cookbook publication, we will be holding a “Top Chef”-style event on Saturday, April 9, where congregants will prepare and bring their dishes, and attendees will taste each dish and select the winning dish in each category. Mark your calendar!
Book Club
Our next meeting will be in January to discuss "A Backpack, A Bear and Eight Crates of Vodka: A Memoir” by Lev Golinkin. This book is the memoir of a 10 year old boy on his journey from the Ukraine to America in 1990, at the height of Soviet Anti-Semitism. The date and location for our meeting will be announced in future newsletters. For more information, contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, December 18, 7:30pm
Join us this Friday for a beautiful Shabbat experience -- a service that is not built around a theme, but is just about praying and welcoming Shabbat as a community. Give yourself a chance to slow down and leave the frenzied pace of the work week behind with an evening of peace, calm, beautiful music, and prayer led by Rabbi Eitan. We'll look forward to seeing you Friday at 7:30.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
December 18-19, 2015 / 7 Tevet 5776
Torah - Genesis 44:18-47:27 / Haftarah - Ezekiel 37:15-28
“The Young Adults in our Lives”
Dear Friends,
This week, my daughter Elana will
be discharged from the Israeli army after serving two years in the Education
Corps. During these two years I have
carried a copy of the Prayer for the State of Israel in my wallet and recited
it often, slowing down for the part about blessing and protecting Israel’s
soldiers. I have often paused to gaze on
her many photos in uniform (yes, my daughter wears army boots). Lately, I find myself tearfully wishing that
my deceased father could have seen her induction ceremony and the day she
became a sergeant. He was a World War II
veteran and a strong Zionist. He was so
moved by the miracle of Israel, especially the prowess of her armed forces, and
would have been so proud to know that his granddaughter was the first person in
his family line to serve in the Jewish army in 2,000 years.
No doubt, as adults we spend so
much of our time guiding and ‘parenting’ our children, nieces, nephews,
grandchildren or friends’ children. We
expect and hope that they will follow our judgment and our lead. Thankfully, there are many times when these
children emerge and step up to lead and guide us. They make choices and go off on adventures
that impress and amaze. We see in them wonderful young adults ready to make
difficult decisions that they will own – often options that inspire the rest of
us. For me, these past years with my daughter in the army and my son
volunteering in Nepal even after the earthquake, have certainly been some of
those times.
This week’s Torah portion
recounts another such time when Judah steps up to Pharaoh’s minister and offers
himself in place of his youngest brother as a captive in Egypt. Judah recognizes and admits previous wrongs –
doing the highest form of repentance, not repeating a wrongful act. He took a path that he knew to be right and
followed through. Judah’s mature act of
leadership not only inspired Pharaoh’s minister, who then revealed himself as
the long-lost brother Joseph, he inspired his brothers, his father, and in fact
our whole people. The word ‘Judaism’
derives from the name ‘Judah.’
In that spirit, I urge you to
take some time this week to notice the amazing things that the young adults in
your lives are doing. Notice how they
are stepping up and doing their best to make great decisions and chose great
life paths for themselves. Let them know
what you see in them and how proud you are of them. Recognize that in them is
the future of our people, our country, and the world.
Finally, keep in mind that the
name ‘Judah’ means ‘I will give thanks.’ So, thank the young adults in your
lives for being the unique people they are and are destined to become. Your
support and appreciation for their leadership will enable them to continue to
learn, grow, and soar.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
To read past entries of the Rabbi's blog, please visit our website.
EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday School , December 20
We look forward to seeing all our school families at 9:00am. Some of you may be out of town starting winter break; if your student is missing Sunday School this week, please let Rabbi Seeg know by emailing learning@shir-hadash.org.
Winter Break, December 27 and January 3
Enjoy a relaxing time with your family and come back ready to learn on January 10!
New! Family Shabbat Featuring Kitah
Gimmel (3rd Graders), Friday, January 8
Join Rabbi Eitan, Rabbi Seeg, and our 3rd grade class for an upbeat and
engaging family service. Dubbed “Nachos
and Naches” (a Yiddish word meaning “pride” or “joy”), this is another
wonderful opportunity for families to come together for an evening of song,
prayer, story, and tasty eats. We begin
at 5:30 with refreshments, followed by our service. These services are geared to
families with kids in 3rd grade and below but are open to all. We also have a regular service beginning at
7:30 that evening.
Adult Education Classes on Sunday
Adult Ed is back on Sunday mornings at Shir Hadash! This year we have two of the regular favorites and then a new class especially for parents. The schedule for the day includes:
9:30-10:30 Torah Study/Modern Jewish Philosophy with Fred Andes
10:30-11:15 Adult Hebrew Reading with Steve Lewin.
11:15-12:25 Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Raising a Mentsch with Rabbi Seeg and Rabbi Eitan
.
For more info about any of these adult ed programs, contact Rabbi Seeg at learning@shir-hadash.org.
Bagels and Coffee on Sunday Mornings
Each Sunday that we have Religious School, coffee and bagels are available in the lobby for purchase. President Glenn Graff and some Board members are usually around to discuss all things Shir Hadash. Stop in and sit and chat with your fellow Shir Hadashniks and enjoy the mornings!
Football Games on TV before Religious School Pickup
It's warm inside and the TV's on! When you're picking up the kids from Sunday School, come into our multipurpose room and watch the first 25 minutes of the Bears game.
Lunch & Learn with the Rabbis
Rabbis Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and Scott Segal invite you to a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. Don’t be surprised if archaeology, sociology, contemporary world affairs as well as law, medicine, and business ethics enter the lively conversation as we plumb the deeper meanings of Judaism’s core text. We meet on Thursdays from noon to 1:00pm. Pack a lunch and join us!
TEEN NEWS
Invite Convention, January 22-24
Teen Registration is open now -- we encourage our chapter to register and show our Ra'am spirit! Invite Convention is January 22-24 at the Lincolnshire Marriott. Early registration ends December 27 -- after that the fee goes up, so sign up now by
clicking here! Contact gmr@bbyo.org for more information or scholarship applications, and watch the calendar for Ra'am Invite planning events.
Declaration Packet for 2016 Ra'am Spring Board
The Declaration Packet for our Spring Term Board is now available (
click here). We highly encourage every chapter member to run for the Board!
- Declaration Packets are due to Natalie (natbelle13@att.net), Carole (carolemostow@gmail.com), and Marc (markfargo@att.net) by Monday, December 28 at 11:59pm. If you are running for N'siah or Godol, please do not send it to Natalie; send it only to the advisors.
- Elections will be Monday, January 4, at 7:00pm at Shir Hadash.
- If you have any questions about positions or the process of declaring and running, do not hesitate to reach out to Natalie for more info.
DONATIONS
To the Solar Panel Fund
- Joy Anes, in memory of her father Ira Anes.
To the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
- Julie and Dan Wellisch, in honor of Ben's Bar Mitzvah and in appreciation of Rabbi Eitan.
- Bari and Jay Rosenbloom, in honor of their daughter Alexa's marriage, and in appreciation of the meaningful and amazing service officiated by Rabbi Eitan
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.
Amazon Smile Fundraising Option
Shir Hadash is now registered with the Amazon Smile fundraising program. Just go to smile.amazon.com, search for Shir Hadash (be sure to select the one in Wheeling), and from then on 0.5% of your purchases will automatically be donated to Shir Hadash at no cost to you! Remember, if you go to Amazon through iGive.com or the iGive button, SH will get money from both Amazon and iGive. And to triple-dip, just pay for your purchases with a SHOP Amazon gift card! Happy Shopping!
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. 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
SHOP for Hanukkah!
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.
So many bonuses! December is a great month to stock up on cards and give Shir Hadash a fundraising boost.
Bonuses Starting December 19
Albertson's -- 2% on Reload Now -- December 19-25
Bath & Body Works -- 5% on ScripNow -- December 19-January 1
Supervalu -- 2% on Reload Now -- December 19-25
Bonuses Available Now
AMC Theaters -- 5% til December 25
Athleta -- 6% til December 18
Banana Republic -- 6% til December 18
Bon Ton -- 2% til December 18
CVS -- 2% on ScripNow and Reload Now til December 25
Dominos -- 2% til December 25
Gap -- 6% til December 18
American Eagle -- 2% til December 18
Dell -- 2% til December 18
Payless -- 2% til December 18
JC Penney -- 1% til December 18
Landry's -- 4% til December 18
Subway -- 3% til December 18
Stage -- 2% til December 18
Ulta -- 1% til December 18
Bass Pro Shops -- 4% til December 18
Red Robin -- 3% til December 18
Starbucks -- 2% til December 18
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! The wrappers are available in a pack of 10 for $2, with a 10% non-profit contribution, and each pack includes 10 different seasonal designs.
Shop with Scrip, one of our vendors, is closed December 24 - January 1. During closed business days ScripNow® and ReloadNow® will process like normal. Reload orders will not process December 25 or January 1. If you have any questions about your holiday orders, please call their helpful Customer Support Team at 1.800.727.4715 option 3.
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Sulpar
- G. Graff
- Edler
- Soglin
- Grills
- Wellisch
- Friedman
- Estes-Goldman
- Segal
- Galvin
- Weiner-Kaplow
- Andes
