WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- New! Education Grant Supports New iPad Music Studio
- New! Board Minutes Now Available on Shul Cloud
- Membership Renewal Forms Now Open
- Solar Capital Campaign
- Book Club
- Save the Date: Shir Hadash Golf Outing, August 16
- Save the Date: Shir Hadash Annual Picnic, August 23
Creative Worship and Ritual
- This Week: Tisha B’Av, Saturday, July 25 at 7:30pm
- Torah Readers Needed for High Holidays
Music
- Sing With Us for the High Holidays!
- Rummage Sale, July 31 and August 2
- New! Building Operations Committee Seeks New Members
The Rabbi’s Corner
- "Tisha B'Av -- A Day of Hope"
Education
Donations
- Shir Hadash Playdate, August 13 -- New Location!
Teen News
- Today! Coffee Talk re Teen Programming with Rabbi Seeg, July 23
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
New! Education Grant Supports New iPad Music Studio
Rabbi Scott Segal, our new Director of Lifelong Learning, was instrumental in procuring this grant for Shir Hadash. Rabbi
Seeg plans to start a special project in religious school this year that will
involve students learning about Jewish music and writing songs based on what
they are learning from Jewish prayers and texts. The recording studio will help
Shir Hadash produce an album that will be available for download at the end of
the school year. You can learn more in our full press release published here on the Chicago Tribune’s website. Kol Hakavod, Rabbi Seeg – thank you
for helping to bring this innovative new program to Shir Hadash!
Executive Board Secretary Sandi Schleicher has updated the information available to SH member on the Shul Cloud section of our website. A new page, only accessible to members who log in, will include monthly executive board minutes, general board meeting minutes, by-laws, policies and procedures, etc. Additions include our Kashrut policy, facility use policy, code of conduct and meeting facilitation, and dues and tuition policies. To view this information, click here or look for the Secretary page in the sub-menu under “Directories” in Shul Cloud.
Membership Renewal Forms Now OpenIt's time once again to renew your membership to Shir Hadash. All the forms you need for membership, school registration, and more are available online here. Please be sure to complete your renewal promptly. If you have any questions, contact info@shir-hadash.org.
Dream to Go Green! Solar Capital Campaign Continues
The Solar Capital Campaign is making progress on our goal of raising funds to help pay for the Solar Power System that will soon be installed on our roof. We hope to have the system installed this summer. To learn more about our dream to go green, please read our story on the Chicago Tribune's website. Then be sure to visit our website where you can make a donation to help purchase a Solar Panel, a Solar Inverter, or donate other amounts. If you have any questions about the Solar Capital Campaign, please contact Art German at artgerman@comcast.net.
Our next book will be Invisible City by Julia Dahl. Watch for announcements about the date and location of our meeting in August.
Save the Date: Shir Hadash Golf Outing, August 16
Save the date for a day of golf with your friends from Shir Hadash. We will play on Sunday, August 16 at Sportsman's Park in Northbrook, tee times starting at 1:00pm. $57/person for 18 holes, including a golf cart. RSVP to Mitch Whitefield at whitefi@attglobal.net or 224 622 1880.
Save the Date: Shir Hadash Annual Picnic, August 23
Mark your calendar now for our wonderful end of summer picnic on August 23! The fun will start at 4:00pm. Watch for more details coming soon.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
This Week: Tisha B’Av, Saturday, July
25 at 7:30pm
July 24 is a
Fourth Friday, which means no Friday night service. (But please celebrate at home.) We do have a service, though, on Saturday
night. Please join us at 7:30, for a
very meaningful Tisha B'Av service. We
commemorate the destruction of the First and Second Temples, as well as other
disasters that have befallen the Jewish people on this same date throughout
history. Our program will include a
reading of Eicha (the book of Lamentations), a selection of Kinot (Elegies) and
a thought-provoking discussion of what it is in our character that encourages
us - that commands us - to rebuild and move forward in the face of tragedy and
sadness. Since Tisha B'Av is
traditionally designated as a fast day, no oneg will be served.
The High Holidays will be here before we know it. As we ramp up our planning, one very important element is to assign Torah portions for reading or chanting. We have a particular need for readers or chanters on Rosh Hashanah Day Two and Yom Kippur afternoon, but we do have a few slots still available on Rosh Hashanah Day One and Yom Kippur morning. We are especially interested in having recent bar and bat mitzvahs come up and chant Torah.
If you volunteer, we will e-mail to you an MP3 of the Rabbi chanting the portion, plus a written copy of the portion in Hebrew and English - and you can get help from the Rabbi and Dawn in getting ready to chant. So if you (or your son or daughter) are interested, or if you need more information, please contact Fred Andes at fandes@btlaw.com or 773 354-3100.
MUSIC
Do you love to sing? Have you wanted to be part of Shir Hadash's music on the High Holidays? This is your year! Rehearsals for High Holidays will begin the first week of August. If you've sung with a multi-part choir in the past and have a basic ability to read music, please contact Ken Wexler at 847 769 8247 or ken.wexler@lockton.com for more information.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Rummage Sale Volunteers Needed
The Rummage
Sale is back, bigger and better! This year, we are holding a two-day sale on
Friday, July 31 and Sunday, August 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. We still
need help on our set up day (Thursday, July 30), as well as each of the sale
days (Friday, July 31, and Sunday, August 2).
In addition, we also need help hanging flyers around town
this week! A detailed list of locations will be provided. Please volunteer by
logging into Shul Cloud to sign up. Don't miss your opportunity to do some
good, and have a good time doing it! Questions? Contact Lise Schleicher at
info@shir-hadash.org.
New! Building Operations Committee Seeks New Members
The Building Operations Committee is looking for new committee members. Specifically, the committee needs a person with interior/exterior experience and someone with general building supervisory experience. The BOC meets once a month on the third Wednesday of the month. Please contact Marc Fargotstein at 847-612-6579.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
July 24-25, 2015 / 9 Av 5775
Shabbat Devarim
Shabbat Chazon – Preceding Tisha B’Av
Torah: Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:22 / Haftarah: Isaiah 1:1 - 1:27
“Tisha B’av – A Day of Hope”
Dear Friends,
Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a group of children, some of whom had lost relatives in the 2014 Gaza War. Hayout Bayhsian, a young girl of Ethiopian descent who had lost her father Sgt. Kshaun Bayhesian asked the Prime Minister, “How did it feel when your brother Yonatan (who was killed in the Entebbe raid in 1976) passed away?” Netanyahu leaned in towards the young girl and told her: “For me it was very, very difficult. We were very close… you possibly think ‘How can I live, right?’ That’s how I felt. But what did I figure out? I figured out that life is like a river that flows on and gets to new places. New turns and curves in the river. Then you find the way to overcome that feeling and to continue living, even though you always remember [the person you lost]. So continue living.”
On one day each year, the entire nation of Israel engages in mourning—fasting and sitting on the ground as if we are sitting Shiva for the destruction of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem. Yet, while we mourn and yearn for the redemption of the Jewish people and the world, our mourning represents a symbol of hope. This is because when we mourn for Jerusalem, we express our passion, devotion and connection to the Land of Israel through our actions. In Eliyahu Kitov’s “Book of Our Heritage” (vol. 3 p. 242) he writes, “It is told of the Emperor Napoleon of France, that he once passed the entrance of a synagogue in Paris on Tisha B’av. At seeing the Jews seated on the ground, weeping and lamenting over the destruction of the Sanctuary and the land, as if the calamity had befallen them only yesterday, he stood in amazement and said, ‘I vow that this people is destined for a successful future in its own land; for where can we find a single other people which kept alive similar mourning and hope for thousands of years?’” Napoleon’s prediction mirrored a statement found in the Talmud (Bavli Taanit 30b): “All who mourn [for the destruction of] Jerusalem will merit and witness the city in her joy.” The very act of mourning on Tisha B’av speaks to the devotion of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel....
To read the rest of the Rabbi's blog, please visit our website.
EDUCATION
Shir Hadash Playdate, August 13 -- New Location!
- Thursday, August 13, 5:00 to 7:00pm, Northside Park, 200 Glendale Street in Wheeling
Join Rabbi
Seeg and current and prospective members for some summer fun! We'll meet on Thursday August 13 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at Northside Park on Glendale Street, just over the bridge from Shir Hadash. (Please note the location change.) Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy a special treat that Rabbi Seeg has planned for dessert! For more information, contact Rabbi Seeg at (847) 498-8218 or
learning@shir-hadash.org.
TEEN NEWS
Coffee Talk--Meet 'n Greet Shir Hadash's
New Director of Lifelong Learning, Rabbi Scott "Seeg" Segal
- Thursday, July 23, 4 to 6 p.m., Starbucks at the corner of Waukegan Road and Lake-Cook Road in Deerfield
Are you a teenager? Are you the parent of a teenager? Do you
know or have you ever seen a teenager? If any of these apply (especially the
first two) then you need to come to this gathering. New Director of Lifelong
Learning Rabbi Scott Segal (aka Rabbi Seeg) will be chatting over coffee with
any and all interested folks about what teen programming can/should look like
at Shir Hadash. This is a drop-in event so come at any point to let your voice
be heard and to help guide the direction of teen programming. Current and
prospective members are welcome! For more information, contact Rabbi Seeg at
(847) 498-8218 or learning@shir-hadash.org.
COMMUNITY CULTURAL EVENTS
Writers Theatre Presents The Diary of Anne Frank
The esteemed Writers Theatre, located in Glencoe, is presenting The Diary of Anne Frank through August 16. The Chicago Tribune called it "a truthful, deeply engaged production." For ticket information, visit the Writers Theatre website.
DONATIONS
To the Capital Campaign- Lise and Sandi Schleicher, in memory of Dr. Eric Wellisch, father of Dan Wellisch
To the Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
- Susan Grossman, in honor of her grandson Teddy Nye's bar mitzvah.
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. 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 Over the Summer!
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.
Bonus Offers Now Available:
Meijer Illinois Grand Opening Bonus: 4% on physical cards until 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.
Bonus Offers
We have a spectacular selection of retailers lined up to help with your back to school shopping!
Aeropostale -- 2% bonus July 18-31
AMC Theatres -- 5% bonus July 18-31
Athleta -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Banana Republic -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Bath & Body Works -- 5% bonus July 18-31
Bon Ton -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Restaurant.com -- 5% bonus July 18-August 7
Cabela's -- 3% bonus July 18-31
Children's Place -- 2% bonus July 18-31
CVS -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Dave & Buster's -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Gap -- 2% bonus July 18-31
iTunes -- 5% bonus July 18-31
JC Penney -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Kohl's -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Payless -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Landry's -- 3% bonus July 18-31
Old Navy -- 2% bonus July 18-31
LL Bean -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Target -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Summer hours for Customer Support at Great Lakes Scrip, one of our Shop vendors: 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.
Bonus Offers
We have a spectacular selection of retailers lined up to help with your back to school shopping!
Aeropostale -- 2% bonus July 18-31
AMC Theatres -- 5% bonus July 18-31
Athleta -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Banana Republic -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Bath & Body Works -- 5% bonus July 18-31
Bon Ton -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Restaurant.com -- 5% bonus July 18-August 7
Cabela's -- 3% bonus July 18-31
Children's Place -- 2% bonus July 18-31
CVS -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Dave & Buster's -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Gap -- 2% bonus July 18-31
iTunes -- 5% bonus July 18-31
JC Penney -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Kohl's -- 2% bonus July 18-31
Payless -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Landry's -- 3% bonus July 18-31
Old Navy -- 2% bonus July 18-31
LL Bean -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Target -- 1% bonus July 18-31
Summer hours for Customer Support at Great Lakes Scrip, one of our Shop vendors: 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
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