WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Religious School Families: Meet Our New Director of Lifelong Learning, June 7
- Bring Your Rummage Donations to the Meet & Greet
- Schaumburg Boomers Baseball Outing, June 7
- New! Solar Panel Capital Campaign
- Yoga, June 3
- Book Club, June 11
Creative Worship and Ritual
- This Week’s Services
Volunteer Opportunities
- New! Help Needed for June 7 Meet & Greet
- Interfaith Council 5K Walk to Fight Community Hunger, June 28
- Rummage Sale, July 31 and August 2
The Rabbi’s Corner
- "May God Bless You and Keep You"
Education
- End of School Pancake Breakfast and Sports Event, May 31
Teen News
- Madrichim: Final Day of School, May 31
- Volunteers Needed for Religious School Meet & Greet, June 7
- Upcoming Ra’am BBYO Events
- Ra'am Service Project Success
Adult Education
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbi, Tuesdays
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Class
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
Religious School Meet & Greet for the New SH Director
of Lifelong Learning, June 7
Shir Hadash will be holding a Baruch
Habah -- a welcome gathering -- to introduce our Religious School community to our
new Director of Lifelong Learning, Rabbi Scott “Seeg” Segal. All our families
are invited to come to an informal reception at Shir Hadash on Sunday, June 7
from 10:00am to noon, and to bring along their friends who might be interested
in learning more about Shir Hadash's Religious School. There will be fun
activities and surprises for kids, so be sure to bring them along! Enjoy refreshments, get to know other school
families, and chat with Rabbi Segal about future plans for our school. Pre-registration is not necessary, but if you are planning to come please click here to let us know -- we have to be sure there's enough ice cream!
Bring Your Rummage Donations to the Meet & Greet!
June 7 is also a great time to drop off your gently used, much loved, hard-to-part-with goods for our upcoming Rummage Sale. Our smiling volunteers will be happy to take your donations off your hands to help make our 2015 sale a rousing success. Please see "Volunteer Opportunities" below to learn more about how you can help!
Bring Your Rummage Donations to the Meet & Greet!
June 7 is also a great time to drop off your gently used, much loved, hard-to-part-with goods for our upcoming Rummage Sale. Our smiling volunteers will be happy to take your donations off your hands to help make our 2015 sale a rousing success. Please see "Volunteer Opportunities" below to learn more about how you can help!
SH Baseball Outing to Schaumburg
Boomers, June 7
June 7 will be Shir Hadash Day at the
Schaumburg Boomers! Beginning at 1:00pm, friends and family of all ages are
welcome for a day of fun at the Schaumburg Boomers minor league baseball
stadium. Tickets are just $10! Click here for registration and direct
payment on Shul Cloud. For more information, contact Stuart Aizenberg,
stuartaizenberg@gmail.com.
New! Solar Panel Capital Campaign
Summer's coming -- Help Shir Hadash catch some rays! We are excited to announce that the synagogue will be installing a 120K watt solar panel system on our roof, which will save us over $15,000 per year and also support our values of environmental responsibility. We can use your help to make our synagogue more green! To learn more and to make a donation, visit our website.
New! Solar Panel Capital Campaign
Summer's coming -- Help Shir Hadash catch some rays! We are excited to announce that the synagogue will be installing a 120K watt solar panel system on our roof, which will save us over $15,000 per year and also support our values of environmental responsibility. We can use your help to make our synagogue more green! To learn more and to make a donation, visit our website.
Yoga, June 3
Yoga at Shir Hadash now meets every Wednesday from 6:00 to 7:00pm. We have a fabulous certified yoga instructor who modifies the class for all levels, from yoga first-timers to advanced. Everyone over 12 years of age is welcome. Please bring a yoga mat. For more information, contact Joanne Litman at jolitman@gmail.com.Book Club, June 11
Our next meeting will be Thursday,
June 11 at 7:30 at the home off Sandy Weiss, 2144 Walters Avenue in Northbrook.
We will discuss What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by
Nathan Englander. For more information, contact Meryl Abensohn,
abenkras@aol.com.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
This Week’s Services
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, May 29, 7:30pm :"Ask the Rabbi"
- This Friday night at 7:30, our "Fifth Friday Learner's Service" offers a unique opportunity to find out the answers to your questions about anything Jewish while we enjoy a creative, lively, and informal service. You can ask about the Shabbat worship service, the meaning of the prayers, why we do things as we do, or just about anything else in Judaism that you're wondering about. Rabbi Eitan is ready to take your questions! Don't miss it -- and don't forget to bring treats for the oneg.
- Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, May 30, 9:30am
- We will celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Teddy Nye. All are welcome to participate in the service.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
New! Help Needed for Meet & Greet with Rabbi Seeg, June 7
We hope to have a great turnout for our exciting welcome event with Rabbi Seeg, and we could use your help to make it a success! Please contact Rachel Siegel, rachelschicksiegel@gmail.com, if you can pitch in with any of the following:
Interfaith Council 5K to Fight
Community Hunger, June 28
We hope to have a great turnout for our exciting welcome event with Rabbi Seeg, and we could use your help to make it a success! Please contact Rachel Siegel, rachelschicksiegel@gmail.com, if you can pitch in with any of the following:
- "Coffee Shop Flyer Brigade" -- Volunteers needed ASAP to hang our event flyer at area coffee shops and restaurants
- Children's Activity Supervisors -- Helpers needed during the event (Sunday, June 7, 10am to noon). Activities may include sidewalk chalk art, bocce, potato sack races, frisbee games, art projects, etc. Teens are very welcome to volunteer.
Interfaith Council 5K to Fight
Community Hunger, June 28
The Northwest Suburban Interfaith
Council will hold “iWalk” on June 28, a 5K fundraiser to fight hunger in our
local communities. Participants will walk from St. Mary’s Parish in Buffalo
Grove to Hope Lutheran Church, enjoy refreshments, and then walk back. No entry
fees required – donations will be accepted to help stock local food pantries.
Walk registration begins at 1:15, and the actual event starts at 2:15. For more
information, contact nwsuburbaninterfaith@gmail.com or talk to Shir Hadash’s
council representative, Marla Callistein, at marlandan@yahoo.com.
Rummage Sale, July 31 and August 2
The Rummage Sale is back, bigger and
better! This year, we are going to try to do a tw- day sale on
Friday, July 31 and Sunday, August 2. To make this a success, we
need 100% participation from our members. We are asking for two hours
from every household over the course of this project – that is on any of the
seven different sorting, set up, or sale days. Last year we
raised almost $2500 in one day with one-third of our membership actively
participating, and we want to beat that this year.
Remember, fundraising like this helps
us keep our dues down and provide more programming for everyone! Of course, we
also need good quality rummage –click here to see a list of what we are looking for and a form to
sign up for a work shift here. Questions? Contact Lise Schleicher at
info@shir-hadash.org.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
May 29-30, 2015 / 12 Sivan 5775
Shabbat Naso
Torah: Numbers 4:21 - 7:89 / Haftarah: Judges 13:2 - 13:25
“May God Bless You and Keep You”
Dear Friends,
There is a moment in our High Holiday services that is very
moving for me. It comes when we lift the
myriad of talitot above our heads, create a virtual canopy over the
congregation and recite the ‘Birkat Kohanim’ or ‘Priestly Benediction’ to bless
our community. That blessing formula,
which begins with the word ‘yivarchecha, comes from this week’s Torah
portion. In anticipation of completing
the work of building the ‘Mishkan’ or portable desert shrine (also called a
‘tabernacle’ in English), Moses gives Aaron, the High Priest, the special
formula to be used when blessing the people of Israel during Shabbat and
festival ceremonies.
Yivarechecha
Adonai v’yishm’recha.
May God
bless you and keep you.
Ya’er Adonai
panav eilecha veechuneka
May God’s
face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
Yisa Adonai
panav eilecha v’yasem l’cha shalom
May God’s
face be lifted up to you and grant you peace.
This blessing is powerful indeed. In only fifteen words and sixty letters, it
conveys God’s blessing of protection, presence, grace, and most important,
peace. In receiving the blessing, there
is inherent faith and trust in God’s goodness and mercy. In short, this blessing is about a caring
relationship from a beneficent and well-meaning God. When Aaron and his sons pronounced this
blessing over the people, it was all about compassion, kindness and love....
Recommendations for Nepal Relief
Donations
I encourage you to make contributions
to Nepali Earthquake Relief through the following organizations:
EDUCATION
Its time for our special celebration
to end the Shir Hadash school year! We will come together for a delicious
pancake breakfast, courtesy of parent Mike Kahn. A suggested donation of $2 can
be given to Gloria at her desk when you come in.
Following breakfast, join us for a
presentation with former Illini basketball star and current UIC Assistant Coach
Deon Thomas. He will speak about his career as a professional basketball
player, including time in Israel with Maccabi Tel Aviv, and will sign
autographs and take photos with students. After that, we'll have wrap up
activities with our classes to send us off to a great summer!
End-of-Year Video Montage
Our madrich Matt Friedman made a
wonderful end-of-year montage for us. Click here to enjoy lots of fun memories!
Reminder: Meet & Greet for Religious School Families with Rabbi Segal, June 7
All our current and prospective families are encouraged to come by next Sunday, June 7, to meet our new Director of Lifelong Learning, Scott "Rabbi Seeg" Segal. Scroll back up to the top of this newsletter for complete details.
TEEN NEWS
Madrichim
We’ll see you at Sunday School on May
31. This is a "regular" paid day for madrichim. If you've already told us that you are not available, don't worry. Otherwise, please be on time and be flexible, as we may need to reassign you for part of the day. It will be a big day, and we need
you there to help make it a success!
Big thanks to all of you for making this a fantastic school year for the teachers, parents, and most of all, the students! Sunday School would not be the same without you; you make a difference and we appreciate you. Have a wonderful summer!
The Religious School is holding a welcome gathering for our new Director of Lifelong Learning, Rabbi Scott Segal, on June 7 from 10:00am to noon. We really need some teen volunteers to help with games (like the Purim Carnival) and also to help with the Ice Cream Sundae Bar as tasters or servers (you can do both!) Yes, we know you might have finals, but if you want a little study break this is a great and fun way to be involved for an hour or two. Contact Rachel Schick Siegel, rschicksiegel@gmail.com, to volunteer or ask questions. Thanks!
Ra’am BBYO Events – Mark Your
Calendars!
Fall Term Elections, June 4
Chapter Sleepover, June 11-12 – More details coming soon!
Please sign up for Ra’am’s Remind 101
group! It’s a super easy way for you to get quick updates about chapter events.
All you have to do is text @raambbyo to 81010 and you’re good!
Ra'am Service Project Success!
Kol Hakavod to the Ra'am volunteers who packed food at FMSC last week. Together with the other volunteers on our shift, we packed 64 boxes of food to be sent to Zimbabwe -- that's over 13,000 nutritious meals for children in need! Great job!
Kol Hakavod to the Ra'am volunteers who packed food at FMSC last week. Together with the other volunteers on our shift, we packed 64 boxes of food to be sent to Zimbabwe -- that's over 13,000 nutritious meals for children in need! Great job!
ADULT EDUCATION
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
"In View of Eternity"
Choral Performance, May 29 and 31
Benjamin Rivera, our High Holidays
Music Director, will be conducting his choral group "Cantate" in a
program called In View of Eternity, including works from Jewish,
Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox Christian traditions that discuss describe,
or depict the eternal. The Jewish works include Hymn to the Eternal
Flame by Stephen Paulus, which is an excerpt from the Holocaust
memorial oratorio To Be Certain of the Dawn, and Enosh
Kehchatzir Yamav by David White. Performances will be on Friday, May
29 on the north side of Chicago and Sunday, May 31 in Evanston. Discounted
tickets are available for Shir Hadashniks! Click here for concert information. For discounted tickets, contact
Benjamin at cantatechicago@googlemail.com.
DONATIONS
To the Capital Campaign Fund
Lise and Sandi Schleicher, in memory of Bernice Fargotstein, Stuart
Horwich, and Simon Kerper
To the Music Fund
Jennifer and Marc Lenhart
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.
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!
Note that this works in conjunction with iGive (see below) and allows for
double-dipping: 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 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 Spring!
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.
Low Denomination Gift Cards are Back!
We have a limited number of special
small denomination gift cards available, perfect for teacher gifts and
graduation parties! The following cards will be available:
•
Albertsons and Supervalu $10
•
Amazon.com Gift Cards $10
•
AMC Theatres® $10
•
Applebee's $10
•
CVS/pharmacy $10
•
Groupon $10
•
IHOP $10
•
Meijer $10
•
Outback $10
•
Panera Bread® $5
•
Pizza Hut $5
•
Regal Entertainment Group $10
•
Starbucks $5 Teacher Card
•
Target $10
Bonus Offers Starting May 30:
AMC Theaters: 5% til June 12
Bass Pro Shops: 4% til June 12
Cabela’s: 3% til June 12
Meijer Illinois Grand Opening Bonus: 4% on physical cards
between May 16 and August 28.
Six Flags Tickets Available
Please note, Six Flags® tickets are once again
available to order. Tickets cost $44.25 and award a 7% rebate. Tickets ordered
now are valid through the 2015 season only, expiring on 12/31/15.
New ScripNow Retailer - Outback Steakhouse &
Bloomin' Brands
Can be ordered in increments of $10, from $10 -
$500, and is also redeemable at Bonefish Grill®, Carrabba's Italian Grill®, and
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse® restaurants.
The Summer schedule for Customer Support at
Great Lakes Scrip, one of our Shop vendors, begins on Friday, May 29. Their hours
will be 8:00am - 4:00pm Eastern Monday through Thursday, and 8:00am - 12:00pm
Eastern on Fridays. They will resume their normal schedule on Tuesday,
September 8.
Thanks to the following families for participating
in Shop this week:
Zinbarg
Schleicher
Pomper
Mostow
Singer
Faramandpour
Fargotsteiner
G. Graff
M. Graff
