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
- “Rock-n-Roll” Purim Spiel and Dinner, March 7
- Town Hall Meeting, March 15
- Book Club, March 19
- Community Seder, April 4
Creative Worship and Ritual
- No Shabbat Services This Week
- Services for Next Week
- Shabbat Speaker Series Begins March 13
Volunteer Opportunities
- Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed, March 1
- SHOP Needs You
The Rabbi’s Corner
- "Renewing Jewish Tradition"
Education
- Religious School, March 1
- Tefillin Needed
Teen News
- Upcoming Events for Teens
Adult Education
- Adult Ed Class on American Jewish History, March 15
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbi, Tuesdays
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Class
Community Events
- JUF Fundraiser April 12
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
“Rock-n-Roll” Purim Spiel and Dinner, March 7
Get ready for a Purim celebration like no other, just for
the adults! Have you ever wondered what Queen Esther served the night that she
invited King Ahashverus and Haman to dinner?
The Programing Committee thinks that they have been able to recreate
that feast. Here is your chance to taste
history and dine royally. Click here to
check out the menu for our fabulous Esther’s Dinner, and to register! Following
dinner, we will be regaled with a Rock-n-Roll Purim Spiel that has to be seen
to be believed. The cost is $25 per person; please RSVP by March 2. Questions?
Contact Melanie Andes, fmandes@comcast.net, or Rebecca Rice,
r.rice1@comcast.net.
Town Hall Meeting, March 15
Save the date for a Shir Hadash Town Hall meeting on Sunday,
March 15. This is an excellent opportunity to hear about what is happening in
the synagogue, ask questions, and contribute ideas. The meeting will start at
10:30am in the sanctuary.
Book Club, March 19
Our book club’s next selection will be Son of Hamas by
Mossab Hassam Yousef. Our discussion will be led by Ed Rice, who has attended a
talk by the author. Our meeting will be held on March 19 at the Andes home, 945
Creek Bend Drive in Vernon Hills. Everyone is welcome. For more information,
contact Meryl Abensohn, abenkras@aol.com.
Community Seder, April 4
Our annual Community Seder is scheduled for April 4, at Shir
Hadash. Mark your calendars now, and watch for more details to be announced
soon.
Creative Worship and Ritual
No Shabbat Services this Week
Enjoy Shabbat with your family. We
look forward to seeing you at our next Shabbat evening service on Friday, March
6.
Next Week's Services
- Purim Tot Shabbat, Friday March 6, 6:15pm
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, March 6, 7:30pm
Second Friday Speaker Series Begins March 13, 7:30pm
We are excited to launch the new Shir Hadash Speaker Series. The theme
of the series is Jewish Paths to
Understanding, Tolerance, and Coexistence. The series seeks to inspire listeners to join in
bringing peace and understanding to our world through Jewish values and
teachings. These presentations will enhance our Shabbat services on the second
Friday of each month.
Our first speaker will be Harry Rhodes, the Executive
Director and one of the founders of “Growing Home,” Chicago's leading organic
agriculture social enterprise focused on empowering people and communities in
Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Growing Home's USDA certified organic farms
serve as the foundation for the organization's vision of a world with healthy
people and communities. Haarry will speak on the topic, “Tikkun Olam -
Repairing Neighborhoods and Lives: Bringing Skills, Jobs, Engagement, and
Healthy Food to those on Society’s Margins through Urban Farming.” Be sure to
join us for this inspiring presentation.
Volunteer Opportunities
Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed, March 1
The Social Action Committee needs your help. On
Sunday, March 1, we will be preparing, cooking and serving over 90 meals for
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 10 to 15 individuals,
one gallon of milk, one large bag frozen mixed vegetables, one large bag of
fruit (oranges, bananas, etc.) and dessert.
If you are interested in helping or have questions, please
contact Mark Lenhart before February 22 at mjlenhart@comcast.net. More
information will be sent to all volunteers approximately one week before the
March 1st date. There is no age limit to volunteer, but from past experience,
kids should be at least six years old to fully participate. Thank you in
advance for your support!
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
February 27-28, 2015 / 9 Adar 5775
Shabbat Tetzaveh-Zachor
Torah: Exodus 27:20 - 30:10
Maftir: Deuteronomy 25:17 - 25:19 | Shabbat Zachor
Haftarah: I Samuel 15:2 - 15:34 | Shabbat Zachor
“Renewing Jewish Tradition”
Dear Friends,
In this week’s Torah portion, God chose Aaron and his sons, Nadav and
Avihu, to become priests of Israel. They
were to wear special garments while serving in the sanctuary to distinguish
them from the typical Israelites. These
robes and vestments were to remind all Israel that holiness was to be the
constant guide of their life.
Created by skilled craftsmen, the first of the priestly garments
described in the portion was the ephod, a close-fitting coat worn between the
arms and the waist. It was fashioned
from precious fabrics and two onyx stones, on each of which were engraved the
names of six of the tribes of Israel.
Then came the breastplate of judgment, made out of pure gold and fastened to the upper part of the ephod by golden chains, and to the lower part by two golden rings bound by threads of blue. The centerpiece comprised twelve precious stones set in rows of three (carnelian, chrysolite, and emeralld; turquoise, sapphire, and amethyst; jacinth, agate, and crystal; beryl, lapis lazuli, and jasper), each engraved with the name of a tribe....
To continue, or to view past installments of the Rabbi’s blog, please visit our website.
Education
Religious School, March 1
We will see all of our students at 9:15am.
Tefillin Needed
Rabbi Eitan is collecting sets of tefillin for his teaching
of traditional Judaism to our students. If you have an unused and
unwanted set to donate, please contact him at rabbi@shir-hadash.org or call the
office.
Teen News
Upcoming Events -- More Details Coming Soon
- Saturday, March 7: BBYO Bonding and Recruiting Event -- Cosmic
Bowling!
- Sunday March 8: Teen Run Purim Carnival – Help us
make it fun for the younger kids!
Adult Education
Winter Adult Ed Class on American Jewish History -- Next
Meeting March 15
Meets on the following Sunday mornings, 11:15 to 12:25 at
Shir Hadash
- March 15, 22
- April 12
- May 3
This 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
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
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
JUF Fundraiser April 12 -- Join the Committee!
Shir Hadash will be a participating congregation in an
exciting Northwest Suburban JUF Fundraiser on Sunday, April 12, to be held at
Temple Chai in Long Grove. This dessert reception, featuring an inspiring
appearance by President Emeritus of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education
Center Sam Harris, will raise money for the JUF Annual Campaign that supports
vital programs and services in Chicago, Israel, and the world. Other
participating congregations include Beth Am, Beth Judea, Or Shalom, and Temple
Chai.
Rich and Rachel Schick Siegel are co-chairs for this event,
and invite other Shir Hadash members to be part of the planning committee. For
more information, contact Rachel at 847/724-5720 or rschicksiegel@gmail.com.
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 While It Snows!
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.
Double Your FUN - Bonus $20 for $20 Dave & Buster's
Electronic Coupon with Qualifying Orders!
Place an order for $25 or more of Dave & Buster's and
receive a bonus $20 for $20 Dave & Buster's electronic Gameplay from
February 28 through March 6.
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this
week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- G. Graff
- Simon
- Estes-Goldman
- Idelman
- Sharpes
- Andes
- Friedman
