WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- New! Shir Hadash to Host Northwest Suburban JNF Dessert Reception, December 6
- Announcing the First Shir Hadash Cookbook -- and Top Chef Event!
- New! Mindfulness Meditation Group, November 28
- Plan Ahead for Hanukkah with SHOP
- Hanukkah Candles Available at Shir Hadash
- Book Club
Creative Worship and Ritual
- No Services this Week
- Next Shabbat Evening Service, December 4
- New! Save the Date for a Lights & Miracles Services, December 11
The Rabbi’s Corner
- "Judaism's Three-Fold Path"
- No Sunday School November 29
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed On Break This Week
- Sunday Morning Specials -- Bagels, Coffee, and Football on TV!
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbis Resumes on Thursdays
- Ra'am Chapter Dinner, November 30
- GMR South Suburbs Dance, December 5
- BBYO International Convention
- Hands On Hanukkah, November 29
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! Shir Hadash to Host Northwest Suburban JNF Dessert Reception,
December 6
Please join us as Shir Hadash hosts the Northwest Suburban Jewish
National Fund Community Dessert Reception. We will have a special guest
speaker, Rabbi Jonathan Schanzer, the Vice President of Research at the
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. He will be discussing the very
timely topic of countering terrorism by following the money.
Please note that pre-registration is mandatory per JNF's security
policy. No walk-ins will be admitted.
This event is at 7:00pm on Sunday December 6 at Shir Hadash. We will be
joined at this event by members of Congregation Or Shalom, Temple Chai, and
Congregation Beth Judea. Please register for the event at jnf.org/chicagodessert..
Announcing the 1st Ever Shir Hadash Cookbook…and “Top Chef” Inspired Event!
We are going to publish the first ever Shir Hadash cookbook in Spring 2016, and we need your recipes! We want our cookbook to reflect our diverse membership, so please submit your family favorites, Sephardic specialties, gluten-free recipes, etc.
The cookbook will be professionally published and contain special pages of interest, a table of contents, an index, helpful cooking hints, and recipe category dividers. Please submit three to five of your favorite recipes. We will strive to include at least one of your recipes. Recipes are due by December 21, 2015. Visit our website for details and submission forms.
In conjunction with the cookbook publication, we will be holding a “Top Chef”-style event on Saturday, April 9, where congregants will prepare and bring their dishes, and attendees will taste each dish and select the winning dish in each category. Mark your calendar!
New! Mindfulness Meditation Group,
November 28
Would you like to practice being as fully present in the moment as
possible? Would you like to cultivate compassion (both for yourself and others?
Mindfulness is about living in the moment with compassionate acceptance.
Mindfulness meditation consists of exercises in which we practice being fully
present in the moment, compassion and returning to our intention (teshuvah).
Whether this will be your introduction to meditation or you have
meditated before and are looking to help sustain (or perhaps restart) your
practice, all Shir-Hadashniks are welcome to join our member-led mindfulness
meditation group. The next meeting will be on Saturday, November 28 at 11:00am
at the home of Rick Zinbarg, 1134 Johnson Drive, Apt 3328, Buffalo Grove.
Please RSVP to Rick Zinbarg @ rickzinbarg@gmail.com.
Hanukkah Candles Available at Shir Hadash
Our annual candle sale begins this week. They will be available at Friday night services and during Religious School. Get ready for the holiday and help Shir Hadash at the same time!
Book Club
Our next meeting will be in January to discuss "A Backpack, A Bear and Eight Crates of Vodka: A Memoir” by Lev Golinkin. This is the true story of the author's exit as a young boy from the Ukraine in 1980, at the height of the Soviet Union's Anti-Semitism. The date and location for our meeting will be announced in future newsletters. For more information, contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
No Services This Week
Shabbat Shalom and safe travels to all who are on the road or in the air this holiday weekend.
Next Shabbat Evening Service: "Thinking About Hanukkah", December 4
On Friday night, December 4, we prepare for the upcoming holiday in a particularly Shir Hadash, Reconstructionist way -- by thinking (and talking) about Hanukkah, what it meant to Jews in history, and what we want it to mean for us now. Come to learn, to think, and to share your ideas!
Shabbat Shalom and safe travels to all who are on the road or in the air this holiday weekend.
Next Shabbat Evening Service: "Thinking About Hanukkah", December 4
On Friday night, December 4, we prepare for the upcoming holiday in a particularly Shir Hadash, Reconstructionist way -- by thinking (and talking) about Hanukkah, what it meant to Jews in history, and what we want it to mean for us now. Come to learn, to think, and to share your ideas!
New!
Save the Date for Lights & Miracles Hanukkah Celebrations, December 11
Light the
lights and celebrate the Jewish festival of freedom—Hanukkah! This year, for our Lights and Miracles service, will have members sharing their storytelling, song, dance, and other talents. The program includes:
- Lessons from Rabbi Eitan and Rabbi Seeg
- The Mighty Shir Hadash Klezmer Band
- Menorah lighting
- Glow lights
- Singing, dancing, potato latkes, and doughnuts
Choose from two services on December 11:
- FAMILY Hanukkah Service, 6:15 to 7:00pm (for families with children from newborn through third grade):
- COMMUNITY Hanukkah Service, 7:30 to 9:00pm, for families with older children (grades 4 and up) and adults.
We’re looking forward to seeing you!
THE RABBI’S CORNER
November 27-28, 2015 - 16 Kislev 5776
Shabbat Vayishlach
Torah Reading: Genesis 32:4 - 36:43 / Haftarah Reading: Obadiah 1:1-21
“Judaism’s Three-Fold Path”
Dear Friends,
Judaism insists that people can change and improve. Throughout our lives, we can mature, learn,
experience, and ultimately become the kind of person each of us wishes to
be. Yet, in order to change for the
better, Judaism requires a commitment to the long term. Nowhere is this better
expressed than in this week’s Torah portion. We find our ancestor, Jacob,
returning to make amends with his brother Esau after 21 years. His thoughts
must certainly have focused on his own character flaws, that of pursuing his
own selfishness to the detriment of Esau.
As he approached the fateful meeting, he must have pondered what it
would take to change himself and transform his arrogance. Left alone, Jacob
suddenly finds himself wrestling with someone in the dark of night. Is it a person
or an angel? Is it the embodiment of his
fears, doubts and failings? While we never learn who the person was, we do
learn what it takes to remake one's own character - the ability to hold on.
Jacob struggles throughout the entire night.
In the morning, Jacob agrees to release his opponent only when told
that he will receive a new name and identity - “Yisrael.” Jacob is no longer
the cunning and deceitful child. Rather, Jacob is able to transform himself
into a better, more caring person. Though limping from his struggle, Jacob
finds the inner strength to apologize to his brother and change the way he
relates to other people.
Our struggles in life with others and with ourselves leave scars on us,
too. But they also produce wisdom, growth and change. Judaism offers a path to self-understanding
through study, mitzvot and prayer.
Through study - both Jewish and general learning - we deepen our
understanding of the world and of human beings. Through mitzvot (commandments)
we learn how to become partners with God to help others, behave kindly, and
repair the world. And through tefillot (prayer and contemplation) we cultivate
our ideal values for how we want to live our lives. All it takes is effort,
time, insight and commitment.
This is Judaism’s three-fold path for improving ourselves and our
world. It provides a vision of how we
can become our best selves.
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
We look forward to seeing our families return on December 6.
Adult Education Classes on Sunday (On Break this Week)
Adult Ed is back on Sunday mornings at Shir Hadash! Except for November 29, when we're on break too.) This year we have two of the regular favorites and then a new class especially for parents. The schedule for the day looks like this:
9:30-10:30 Torah Study/Modern Jewish Philosophy with Fred Andes
10:30-11:15 Adult Hebrew Reading with Steve Lewin
11:15-12:25 Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Raising a Mentsch with Rabbi Seeg and Rabbi Eitan
.
.
For more info about any of these adult ed programs, contact Rabbi Seeg at learning@shir-hadash.org.
Bagels and Coffee on Sunday Mornings
Each Sunday that we have Religious School, coffee and bagels are available in the lobby for purchase. President Glenn Graff and some Board members are usually around to discuss all things Shir Hadash. Stop in and sit and chat with your fellow Shir Hadashniks and enjoy the mornings!
Football Games on TV before Religious School Pickup
It's warm inside and the TV's on! When you're picking up the kids from Sunday School, come into our multipurpose room and watch the first 25 minutes of the Bears game.
It's warm inside and the TV's on! When you're picking up the kids from Sunday School, come into our multipurpose room and watch the first 25 minutes of the Bears game.
Lunch & Learn with the Rabbis
Rabbis Eitan Weiner-Kaplow & Scott Segal invite Shir Hadash members and friends to a a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. Don’t be surprised if archaeology, sociology, contemporary world affairs as well as law, medicine, and business ethics enter the lively conversation as we plumb the deeper meanings of Judaism’s core text. We’ll meet on Thursdays from noon to 1:00pm. Pack a lunch and join us!
TEEN NEWS
Ra'am BBYO Chapter Dinner at Shir Hadash, November 30
GMR South Suburbs Dance, December 5
Barney Ross AZA and Chaverim BBG
present GMR’s Annual South Suburbs Dance, The
Hollywood Ball!
- When: Saturday, December 5, 7:00 to 9:00pm
- Where: Temple Anshe Sholom, Olympia Fields, IL
- Cost: $18, including bus transportation and snacks
For more information and
registration, click here or call
224 406 9260.
BBYO’s International Convention Registration has opened and over 2,400 teens are currently registered including 80+ from GMR! The dates are February 10-15, 2016. If you registered for IC, more information will be coming out shortly about the waitlist and other details. If you haven’t registered yet and want to join us in Baltimore, visit www.bbyo.org/azabbgic for more info!
DONATIONS
To the Samuel Andes Scholarship Fund
- Maxine and Allan Burke, in celebration of their granddaughter Ella Burke's Bat Mitzvah.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Hands-On Hanukkah, November 29
The Northwest Suburban Collaborative is once again sponsoring Hands-On Hanukkah at Barnes & Noble, Deer Park, on Sunday, November 29 from 10:00am to 1:00pm. This Hanukkah celebration is open to all, with activities geared to young children. Shir Hadash is participating in this event, with songleading by Rabbi Eitan and facepainting by Lynne Arons.
Even if you can’t attend the event, please plan on shopping at Barnes & Noble’s Deer Park store anytime on November 29. The Northwest Suburban Collaborative will receive a portion of the proceeds from purchases made that day. Please let them know you are members of one of the sponsoring organizations! The Northwest Suburban Collaborative is made up of Congregation Beth Judea, Congregation Or Shalom, Shir Hadash Synagogue, Temple Chai, JCC Chicago, Big Tent Judaism and The Jewish United Fund.
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.
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! Remember, 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 Thankfully!
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.
Bonuses Now Available
Shutterfly -- 2% til December 4
Albertson's -- 2% on ReloadNow til November 27
Supervalu -- 2% on ReloadNow til November 27
Bonuses Starting November 28
Bass Pro Shops -- 4% til December 18
Bed Bath & Beyond -- 1% til December 11
Bob Evans -- 2% til December 11
Caribou Coffee -- 1% on physical cards til Decembber 11
Carter's -- 1% til December 11
CVS -- 1% til December 11
Express -- 2% til December 11
Journeys -- 3% til December 11
Lane Bryant -- 1% til December 11
Red Robin -- 3% til December 11
LL Bean -- 2% til December 11
Osh Kosh B'Gosh -- 1% til December 11
Starbucks -- 2% til December 18
See's Candies -- 2% til December 11
SpaFinder -- 2% til December 11
Shutterfly -- 2% til December 4
TGI Friday's -- 3% til December 11
Shutterfly -- 2% til December 4
Albertson's -- 2% on ReloadNow til November 27
Supervalu -- 2% on ReloadNow til November 27
Bonuses Starting November 28
Bass Pro Shops -- 4% til December 18
Bed Bath & Beyond -- 1% til December 11
Bob Evans -- 2% til December 11
Caribou Coffee -- 1% on physical cards til Decembber 11
Carter's -- 1% til December 11
CVS -- 1% til December 11
Express -- 2% til December 11
Journeys -- 3% til December 11
Lane Bryant -- 1% til December 11
Red Robin -- 3% til December 11
LL Bean -- 2% til December 11
Osh Kosh B'Gosh -- 1% til December 11
Starbucks -- 2% til December 18
See's Candies -- 2% til December 11
SpaFinder -- 2% til December 11
Shutterfly -- 2% til December 4
TGI Friday's -- 3% til December 11
We have a colorful collection of gift card holiday wrappers back in stock and available for ordering. These colorful pre-cut glossy wrappers fold up to wrap your gift card in a fun, festive package. It even gives you space to leave a name, gift card amount, and a little note! The wrappers are available in a pack of 10 for $2, with a 10% non-profit contribution, and each pack includes 10 different seasonal designs.
New ScripNow Retailer: Southwest Airlines
Just in time for your holiday travels, we're excited to announce Southwest Airlines ScripNow®! It's available to order in $10 increments, from $30 - $1000, with a 4% non-profit contribution.
Thanks to the following families for participating in Shop this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Sulpar
- G. Graff
- Estes-Goldman
- Friedman
- Newman
- Rice
- Soglin
- Farahmandpour
