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
Tonight! Book Club, January 15
Today! Meet Up Day, January 15
Annual Gala at Pinstripes, February 7
Coffee House and Open Mic Night, February 21
“Let There Be Light” LED Bulb Drive
Shir Hadash Summer Family Trip to Israel, June 2015
Creative Worship and Ritual
“Tot Shabbat,” Friday, January 16, 6:15pm
Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, January 16, 7:30pm
Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, January 17, 10:00am
New! Coming Soon: Shabbat Speaker Series
Volunteer Opportunities
Blood Drive at Shir Hadash, February 1
SHOP Needs You!
The Rabbi’s Corner
“Worth Fighting For”
Education
Religious School Back in Session
Teen News
Madrichim Meeting Sunday Morning, January 18
Registration Now Open for Kallah 2015, February 13-15
BBYO - GMR Invite Convention, January 30-February 1
BBYO Invite Planning Sessions
Adult Education
Winter Adult Ed Class on American Jewish History Begins January 18
Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Community Events
“G-d’s Honest Truth” Play Reading, January 18
New! “Above and Beyond” Film Screening, January 25
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
Tonight! Book Club Meets January 15
Book Club meets tonight, January 15, at 7:30pm to discussion Pictures from the Past by Deby Eisenberg. We will meet at the home of Ed and Rebecca Rice, 3641 Bernay Drive in Northbrook. All are welcome; please RSVP to Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
Today! Meet Up Day, January 15
Shir Hadash's Meet Up Day returns today, Thursday, January 15. Do you work alone? Do you work from home? Would you like the opportunity to spend a few hours working in the company of friends? If you answered yes to any of these questions, join us in the conference room from 10:00am to 2:30pm on the third Thursday of the month. Yes, wi-fi is available. Registration is not required, but we would appreciate it if you would let us know that you are coming. (And be sure to ring the bell if the door is locked.) If you have questions or want to RSVP, contact Glenn Graff at nflsunday1966@gmail.com or 847 420 2505.
Shir Hadash's Meet Up Day returns today, Thursday, January 15. Do you work alone? Do you work from home? Would you like the opportunity to spend a few hours working in the company of friends? If you answered yes to any of these questions, join us in the conference room from 10:00am to 2:30pm on the third Thursday of the month. Yes, wi-fi is available. Registration is not required, but we would appreciate it if you would let us know that you are coming. (And be sure to ring the bell if the door is locked.) If you have questions or want to RSVP, contact Glenn Graff at nflsunday1966@gmail.com or 847 420 2505.
Meditation Group, January 24
Our new member-led meditation group will have its next meeting on Saturday, January 24 at 2:00pm at the synagogue, when we plan to try a raisin meditation. We have had three meetings so far at the synagogue and we’ve practiced several different meditations together. 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. Thus, it is more of a study group than a class. First-timers are also welcome; our group can provide an introduction to meditation basics so that a first-timer will be able to decide if they are interested in pursuing more advanced learning with a trained meditation teacher. We look forward to practicing together on January 24 and invite all other Shir Hadashniks who would like to meditate with us to join us! For more information, contact Rick Zinbarg at 847-902-9703 or rzinbarg@northwestern.edu.
Annual Gala at Pinstripes, February 7
Invitations have been sent! 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.
Visit our updated website page for more exciting details. Join us! sh.shulcloud.com/2015_Gala_Celebration
Coffee House Night--Open Night Style, February 21
Have a memorable fun-filled evening at Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style on
Saturday, February 21. Bakers, Talent and Helpers, remember to sign up so we can plan properly. A successful evening depends on you! Please click here to sign up or go to the main website and click on the Coffee House link. Stay warm in our cozy atmosphere while you enjoy hot beverages and baked treats. Looking forward to enjoying your talent! Stay warm and keep practicing!
“Let There Be Light” LED Bulb Drive
As Shir Hadash’s light bulbs burn out, we are replacing them with energy-efficient LED bulbs. these bulbs are more expensive up front, but they last longer and use less energy than other bulbs, saving money over the long haul and maintaining our commitment to environmental responsibility. Recently, a number of bulbs have burned out at the the same time, so we’ve decided to launch a light bulb drive.
Each LED bulb costs $30, but saves $200 in energy costs over its life. Please help make Shir Hadash green and bright by clicking here to donate one, two, or more bulbs. Thanks for your support!
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. Visit our website for a detailed package flyer and itinerary, or contact Dawn at dweinerkaplow@sbcglobal.net.
Creative Worship and Ritual
Shabbat Services this Week
“Tot Shabbat,” Friday, January 16, 6:15pm
Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, January 16, 7:30pm
Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, January 17, 10:00am
We have three different Shabbat services happening this week. First, there is a Tot Shabbat on Friday, at 6:15. This is for kids six and under and their families. Rabbi Eitan and Lauren Shook will lead a lively service that includes the Shabbat prayers along with story, song, and dance. It’s an interactive Shabbat experience not to be missed! Following the service, we will join for refreshments (pot luck, so please bring some treats) and a Shabbat activity with Lauren.
Second, there is the "regular" Friday night service, at 7:30. As part of this service, we are honoring our new and returning members - but all members are welcome, and in fact, we will be calling all members up to the Torah for a special aliyah! The service will be led by our 7th graders (with the Rabbi). The service theme is "Speaking Truth to Power," and the Rabbi will lead a powerful discussion on that topic. Plus, we will be doing a "send-off" for our Ta'am Israel kids, who will be heading off on their trip very soon. There will be a special oneg, sponsored by the Membership Committee - but other contributions are also welcome!
Finally, as we have been promising, this Saturday at 10:00 am we are having the first of our Shabbat morning services (that is, without a bar or bat mitzvah as part of the service). So come and enjoy a Shabbat morning service at Shir Hadash, complete with kiddush afterwards. (And remember to bring your tallit.) See you then!
Coming Soon: Shabbat Speaker Series at Shir Hadash
We are pleased to announce that Shir Hadash will be launching a new Shabbat Speaker Series on the second Friday of the month, starting in March. Watch for more information coming soon!
Volunteer Opportunities
Blood Drive at Shir Hadash, February 1
Shir Hadash will be hosting a blood drive with LifeSource on Sunday, February 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at our building (200 W. Dundee Rd, Wheeling). This drive is very important because the recent extreme weather conditions have prompted a significant drop in donations at all of LifeSource’s 18 donor centers.
To schedule your appointment with LifeSource go to www.lifesource.org; Donate Blood; Make an Appointment (Scroll down), and search by group code 528B. Alternatively, you can email Mark Lenhart at mjlenhart@comcast.net. There will also be a sign up sheet in the lobby of the building during Sunday School hours the morning of the drive. Appointments are every 15 minutes starting at 8:30 a.m. until 1:00, and we can accommodate up to three people per 15 min slot. If you have any specific medical questions, please call LifeSource at 877-543-3768 or 800-486-0680.
Donors need to be 16 or older to donate. 16 year olds will need a signed parent consent form which will be available on site.
Remember that each pint of blood donated helps save three lives. Please do your part and donate!
SHOP Needs You!
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.
The Rabbi’s Corner
January 16-17, 2015 / 26 Tevet 5775
Shabbat Va’eira
Torah - Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 Haftarah - Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21
“Worth Fighting For”
Dear Friends,
In this week’s Torah portion, God appeared to Moses to tell him that God would deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt. But the Israelites, broken in spirit, paid no attention to Moses. Moses then asked God how Pharaoh could be persuaded to let the Israelites go. God replied that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened, but after a sequence of "signs and wonders" the king would set the people free.
The obvious question to be raised is why God needed to harden Pharaoh’s heart before letting Israel go free. With God so closely involved in this situation, couldn’t God simply create a miracle that would have ended the Egyptian slavery immediately? The answer lies not with Pharaoh but with the Children of Israel. They were so lost in the pain of slavery that they could not even envision a day when they would be free. They had no belief in themselves as a people of dignity and liberty. Frankly, if Pharaoh had suddenly decreed that all Israelites were free, I doubt they would have understood nor been ready to leave.
Hardening Pharaoh’s heart created a series of breakthroughs and hope followed by setback and disappointment. Nine times, through the first nine plagues, the Children of Israel gradually woke up and began to understand their potential and their future. Thus, by the time of the tenth plague, Israel was not only awake, they were packed and ready to run - with bread or without!...
To rest of this week’s Rabbi’s Corner or view past installments of his blog, please visit our website.
Education
Religious School , January 18
We’re looking forward to seeing all of our wonderful students at 9:15 on Sunday, January 18.
Teen News
Madrichim, January 18
Early morning meeting this Sunday, January 18 at 8:40 am. Bagels and cream cheese will be served. we have a special Tikkun Olam presentation so please be on time!
Registration Now Open for Kallah 2015
On February 13-15, 2015, Shir Hadash 6th – 12th graders will share in a great weekend with teens from JRF congregations across the Midwest at the No’ar Hadash Midwest Youth Kallah (Retreat), to be held at the URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (OSRUI) in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Staffed by rabbis and youth leaders from area synagogues, and with programming designed by teen leaders from across the region, this year’s Kallah will be an amazing and exciting experience.
The cost of the weekend is $200 and includes housing, food, program costs, transportation and a souvenir sweatshirt. Click here for registration. Contact Carole at youth@shir-hadash.org or 847 436 1034 for more information.
BBYO - GMR Invite Convention, January 30-February 1
BBYO’s Great Midwest Region has opened registration for its Wild Wild Great Midwest Invite Convention, to be held at the Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel in Northbrook on January 30 through February 1. To learn more, visit the event website.
Ra’am BBYO
Watch your email and Facebook for news about Invite prep sessions. Sessions are a fun way to bond and learn our song, cheer, and dance. Details will be coming soon.
Adult Education
Winter Adult Ed Class on American Jewish History, Begins January 18
Eight Sunday morning sessions, 11:15 to 12:25 at Shir Hadash
- January 18
- February 1, 8, 22
- March 15, 22
- April 12
- May 3
Beginning January 18, this eight-week survey course focuses on the fascinating story of the Jewish community in America. Our study will be divided into eight periods spanning colonial times to the present. Each class session will include lecture, discussion, and reading through historical source documents and artifacts. We will also touch on Jewish genealogy and tracing our families’ roots. Students are encouraged to bring online/web resources to class. Instructor: Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow assisted by Shir Hadash members. Everyone is welcome to participate.
Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow Resumes January 6
All are invited to join Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. We meet at noon on Tuesdays in the conference room.
Sunday Morning Adult Ed
Our regular Sunday discussions are back from break! 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.
Community Events
“G-d’s Honest Truth” Play Reading, January 18
As part of the 2015 Chicago Jewish Play Reading Festival, Shir Hadash is happy to be a co-sponsor of a dramatic reading of “G-d’s Honest Truth” by playwright Renee Calarco. A brief synopsis: “Roberta and Larry are devoted to each other—and to Temple Beth David. When a mysterious rabbi who calls himself "the Jewish Indiana Jones" offers them the chance to save a Holocaust Torah, they jump into action. Both comic and poignant, Renee Calarco's play is a canny portrait of a contemporary synagogue's quest to remember the Holocaust. Based on a true story of fraud in a Jewish community, “G-d’s Honest Truth” is the winner of the 2014 Jewish Play Writing Contest.”
The performance will take place at Temple Chai, 1670 Checker Road in Long Grove at on Sunday, January 18 at 7:00pm. For more information and tickets, visit our Facebook Event or the Festival’s website, www.continuumtheater.org.
New! “Above and Beyond” Film Screening, January 25
On January 25 at 3 pm, the Israeli film Above and Beyond will play at the Northbrook Court theater. This documentary tells the story of how the Israeli Air Force was founded (by a ragtag group of mostly Jewish, mostly American flying aces from WWII). The film is fascinating and deeply moving. The Shir Hadash Israel Group highly recommends it to Shir Hadashniks of all ages. The film is presented by the Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema; click here for more information.
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
SHOP for 2015!
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.
SHOP Needs Your Help!
Please sign up to staff the SHOP table for a Sunday morning. Full details in the “Volunteer Opportunities” section above.
Shutterfly 2% Bonus Contribution
Shutterfly® is excited to offer a 2% bonus contribution from Saturday, January 17 through Friday, January 30. Customers who purchase Shutterfly $25 gift certificates or ScripNow® products will receive an 11% contribution instead of the standard 9%.
SUBWAY® Restaurants are increasing their rebate to 6%.
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:
Zinbarg
Schleicher
Herbin
Fisher-Rohde
Friedman
Simon
Estes-Goldman
Farahmandpour
Singer
Steinbeck
No comments:
Post a Comment