What’s Happening at a Glance
Membership News and Upcoming Events
Coffee House and Open Mic Night, February 21
Gala Pictures Now Online
“Rock-n-Roll” Purim Spiel and Dinner, March 7
New! Town
Hall Meeting, March 15
Book Club, March 19
Book Club, March 19
Community Seder, April 4
Creative Worship and Ritual
This Week’s Services
Coming Soon: Shabbat Speaker Series
Volunteer Opportunities
Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed, March 1
SHOP Needs You
The Rabbi’s Corner
"Lighting the Way"
"Lighting the Way"
Education
Religious School, February 22
Tefillin Needed
Education Director’s Blog
Teen News
Highlights from Kallah
Film Screening for Teens: Beneath the Helmet, February
23
Upcoming Events for Teens
Adult Education
Adult Ed Class on American Jewish History, February 22
Lunch and Learn with the Rabbi, Tuesdays
Sunday Morning Adult Ed Class
Community Events
JUF Fundraiser April 12 -- Join the Committee!
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
Coffee House Night--Open Night
Style, February 21
It’s
finally time for Coffee House Night at Shir Hadash – Open Mic Style! It’s
getting exciting and boy, do we have a wonderful line-up in store for you.
Join
us this Saturday night, February 21. Doors open at 6:30pm and performances will
begin as soon as possible. The event will run until 10:00ish or so. If you are
not performing, come on in, select your seat and be prepared to be tempted by
our Bake/Beverage Tables. If you are performing, come ready to sign-in on the
performance list, tune your instruments, exercise your voice, and do your final
preparation before the evening starts. Talent will have about 10-12 minutes on
stage or no more than three tunes.
Thank
you everyone who has signed up already, but we always have room for everyone
who wants to participate. Please continue to sign up and be part of Coffee
House Night. Be part of the audience, be part of the talent, be one of the
amazing bakers or just show up! For Talent, please click here, go to the home
page, or contact Margie at MargiePromoPro1@aol.com, or for Baking, please
contact Katy at KatyZwick@gmail.com.
Whether
you’ve made an advance reservation or not, we want you! EVERYONE is welcome to
be part of this event. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 21
to enjoy a laid back evening with low lighting, comfortable seating, friendly
conversation, a Bake Sale with Coffee/Beverages, and the amazing talent of our
friends.
Gala Pictures Now Online
If
pictures are worth a thousand words, then we have more than a million fantastic words to describe the
recent smash Shir Hadash Gala, held in honor of Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow.
Click here to see the fun and excitement shared by all who attended.
“Rock-n-Roll” Purim Spiel and Dinner, March 7
Get ready for a Purim celebration like no other, just for the
adults! We will start the evening at Shir Hadash with a Persian dinner at 6:30,
followed by the spiel. Watch future newsletters and your emails for lots more
details coming soon!
New! 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
This Week’s Services
Friday, February 20 -- 7:30pm
This
Friday night, we have a very different Friday night service, for a couple of
reasons. First, the Rabbi will be giving
a talk about his recent trip, with a group of other rabbis, to Morocco. With pictures! Second, at the request of some members, we
will try something else new in this service - no theme! As you know, we always create a theme for our
Friday night services, usually based on upcoming holidays or the week's Torah
portion. Some members have said that
they'd like us to try a service that is "just" a service, without a
theme. All of our usual prayers and
songs, of course - those are part of who we are! So come and enjoy the service, and the tour
of Morocco - and don't forget to bring something for oneg!
Saturday, February 21 -- 9:30am
We will celebrate the bar mitzvah of Lee Farkas. All are welcome
to participate in the service.
Coming Soon: Second Friday Speaker Series at
Shir Hadash
Rabbi Eitan is organizing a Speaker Series for the second Friday
of each month beginning in March. The theme of the series is Jewish Paths to Understanding, Tolerance, and
Coexistence. Guest speakers will
offer personal reflections on how their work is forging a unique approach
towards repairing a broken world and creating trust and cooperation amongst
people, religions, ethnicities, nationalities, etc. The series seeks to inspire
listeners to join in bringing peace and understanding to our world through
Jewish values and teachings. Watch for more information coming soon!
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 20-21, 2015 / 2 Adar 5775
Shabbat Terumah
Torah: Exodus 25:1 - 27:19 Haftarah: I Kings 5:26 - 6:13
“Lighting the Way”
Dear Friends,
What is the symbol of the Jewish
people? Most will answer that it is the
six-pointed Star of David. We wear the
Magen David symbol on necklaces and it is emblazoned on Israel’s flag. We even call it the ‘Jewish Star.’ Yet, the Star of David is a relatively new
symbol for Judaism and the Jewish people, dating probably to the late Middle
Ages.
The older and more traditional, and
some say more authentic, symbol of Judaism is the seven-branched candelabrum
called the ‘Menorah.’ The menorah is
first described in this week’s Torah portion as one of the implements to be
fashioned for the Israelites’ portable desert shrine. The description is complicated. The Talmud suggests that even Moses needed
some help in understanding God’s instructions for its fabrication.
At an excavation from the Second
Temple Period in Jerusalem, wall graffiti was found depicting the menorah. Throughout Jewish history and in countless
Jewish cemeteries and catacombs all over the world Jewish graves have been
marked with the sign of the menorah. It
really is our quintessential Jewish symbol. Throughout our people’s history, it
is the menorah that designates Judaism
.
Our Shir Hadash logo contains an
impression of a menorah through the seven globes across the upper horizontal
element. The spheres are of ascending
size representing all the different ages in our congregation that comprise our
community – from children to adults.
Thus, the menorah comes to represent a fundamental Jewish value.
Everyone has an important role to play in building our community. Everyone is welcome.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Education
Religious School, February 22
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
Highlights from Kallah 2015
Shir Hadash Youth Director Carole Mostow shares
this recap from last weekend’s Teen Kallah:
We ended with our friendship circle where we got to hear all about
what makes Kallah so special: the new friends, the old friends, the talent
show, the warmth from the inside even when it is way too cold outside, and the
opportunity to experience Shabbat with friends from near and far. With a few
tears shed and lots of hugs, we said goodbye to another Kallah.
Film Screening for Teens: Beneath the
Helmet, February 23
All teens are invited to a special screening of
Beneath the Helmet on Monday, February 23 at Northbrook Court. Beneath
the Helmet: From High School to the Home Front is a coming-of-age
story that follows the journey of five Israeli high school
graduates who are drafted into the army to defend their country. At the age of
18, away from their homes, families, and friends, these young individuals
undergo a demanding, inspiring journey that reveals the core of who they are
and who they want to be.
Upcoming Events -- More Details Coming Soon
- Sunday,
February 22: BBYO Stand UP Event
- Thursday,
February 26 (note date change): Ra'am Board Meeting
via Google hangout
- Friday, March 7: BBYO Bonding and Recruiting Event -- Cosmic Bowling!
Adult Education
Winter Adult Ed Class on American Jewish History
-- Next Meeting February 22
Meets on the following Sunday mornings, 11:15 to 12:25 at Shir
Hadash
- February
22
- March
15, 22
- April
12
- May 3
Topic for February 22: Westward Expansion
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
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.
Committee members are asked to make a pledge to the JUF-Israel Emergency Fund,
allow their names to be included on the event invitation, attend the event, and
encourage friends and family to attend as well. Several of our synagogue’s
leaders have already joined the committee; please consider adding your name to
the list! For more information, contact Rachel at 847/724-5720 or
rschicksiegel@gmail.com.
Ongoing Fundraisers
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 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.
California Pizza Kitchen -- $25 Gift Card
Available
Office Depot Gift Cards Change -- Please note,
Office Max® gift cards can be used in both Office Max and Office Depot® stores.
Thanks to the following
families for participating in SHOP this week:
Zinbarg
Schleicher
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