WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Tonight! WISH: Next Meeting February 4
- MOSH at Chicago Wolves -- RSVP Today!
- Shir Hadash Cookbook
- Lil Rev Concert Performance, February 20
- New! Family Havdalah and Pizza Party, February 20
- New! Mahjong, Anyone? Answer our Interest Survey.
- Book Club -- Recap and Next Selection
Creative Worship and Ritual
- This Week: Shabbat Evening Service, February 5, 7:30pm
The Rabbi’s Corner
Education Announcements- "The Rule of Law"
- New Attendance Incentive Policy
- Upcoming Service Dates -- Grades 4, 5, and 6
- Introducing SH Youth Band -- The Menschkins!
- Change to Chugim
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbis, Thursdays
Teen News
- BBYO Invite Convention Recap
- Upcoming Events
Volunteer Opportunities
Ongoing Fundraisers
Lil Rev is Coming to Shir Hadash! Coffee House Night - Concert Series, February 20
Lil Rev is coming in less than three weeks! On Saturday, February 20 at 7:30pm, Coffee House Night - Concert Series is delighted to welcome the fabulous, award-winning Jewish entertainer, Lil Rev, a talented multi-instrumentalist and storyteller. Lil Rev has put together a special variety show filled with stories and songs for us. Known for his ukulele and harmonica stylings, he’s equally adept at old time banjo, flat- pick guitar and blues mandolin. Click here for a video preview of Lil’s amazing performance style. As always, this event is offered for a free-will donation.
Please save February 20 for an incredible evening of musical entertainment and camaraderie. Please be sure to click here to register to help us plan for our seating set-up. We want the Coffee House to have enough seats for everyone. If you're interested in also helping with Front of the House or Baking, that would be terrific. Please contact Margie at MargiePromoPro1@aol.com or indicate your volunteer interest on the registration/seating form.
This Week's Services:
Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, February 5, 7:30pm
To read past entries of Rabbi Eitan's blog, please visit our website.
New Attendance Incentive Policy
Reminder of Upcoming Friday Evening Services
Soup Kitchen Help Needed, February 21
To the Samuel Andes Scholarship Fund
Help Shir Hadash Earn Free Donations with iGive
SHOP for Your Valentine!
- Help Needed with Soup Kitchen, February 21
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
WISH (Women in Shir Hadash), February 4
Our new women's group, WISH, is off and running! The first Thursday of each month, starting February 4, we will hold planning sessions at Shir Hadash. Social activities are definitely at the top of the list. For information or questions, our official email is wish@shir-hadash.org.
MOSH at Chicago Wolves – RSVP Today!
Attention MOSH
(Men Of Shir Hadash) and their families! We at least need 15 people to commit
to going to the February 21 Chicago Wolves Hockey game at Allstate Arena. The game time is 3:00pm. The commitment will require payment through
the Shul Cloud site. Instructions will
be provided later for that. The
commitment will ensure that we get good seats at a discount and get the ticketing
issues taken care of early. We need to hear from you by tomorrow, February 5!
- So, Step 1: (due by Friday, February 5) If you want to go, email Dan Wellisch (danwellisch@gmail.com) and tell him how many tickets you need.
- Step 2: Dan will let you know after February 5.
Shir Hadash Cookbook--Now with Relaxed Submissions Guidelines!
Deadline Extended to February 15
Based on feedback from our members, the Cookbook Committee has decided to relax our submission guidelines! We need your recipes, and we want to make it as easy as possible for you to send them to us. So don't worry about putting the ingredients in order or using the "correct" abbreviations--we'll take care of all that for you!
You can type up your recipes and email them to cookbook@shir-hadash.org. You can also scan them and email them. Or photocopy them and drop them off at the office (just make sure you have your name on them!). You can even still submit them through ShulCloud!
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. We've extended our deadline to February 15. Visit our website for details and submission forms.
"Lil Rev isn't an act, he's real."
-- Joe Hickerson, Former Head of Library of Congress Folk Archive
Lil Rev is coming in less than three weeks! On Saturday, February 20 at 7:30pm, Coffee House Night - Concert Series is delighted to welcome the fabulous, award-winning Jewish entertainer, Lil Rev, a talented multi-instrumentalist and storyteller. Lil Rev has put together a special variety show filled with stories and songs for us. Known for his ukulele and harmonica stylings, he’s equally adept at old time banjo, flat- pick guitar and blues mandolin. Click here for a video preview of Lil’s amazing performance style. As always, this event is offered for a free-will donation.
Please save February 20 for an incredible evening of musical entertainment and camaraderie. Please be sure to click here to register to help us plan for our seating set-up. We want the Coffee House to have enough seats for everyone. If you're interested in also helping with Front of the House or Baking, that would be terrific. Please contact Margie at MargiePromoPro1@aol.com or indicate your volunteer interest on the registration/seating form.
New! Family Havdalah and Pizza Party, February 20
On Saturday, February 20, we will
have a family event at the synagogue beginning at 5:00 p.m. with a wonderful
Havdalah service. Afterwards we will
have pizza and then a family activity led by Rabbi Eitan. It is sure to be a great time for everyone, and you'll be home well before the kids' bedtime!
New! Mahjong, Anyone? Answer our Interest
Survey.
There is
interest in a regular Mahjong game held at Shir Hadash. This survey will help us best meet our
members' needs as we try to establish a game (or games). If no one in your household in interested in
playing, we ask that you please answer only answer the first question.
This is not a commitment to play, just an indication of
interest. Please have the member of
your family most likely to play answer this or forward it to that person.
This link
will take you to a SurveyMonkey page with just a few short questions. We really appreciate your input! You can also type into your browser:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VCHPM55.
Book Club Recap
Our Book Club meeting on January
28 was a roaring success. It was described as the best book club so far, and we
were happy to welcome two new members. Thank you so much to Rebecca Rice and
her family for hosting and graciously offering two different exotic teas.
In our discussion of A Backpack, A Bear, and Eight Crates of
Vodka, we covered the last great immigration of Soviet Jews to America in 1989-
1990, the part America and Americans played in freeing the Soviet Jews, and the
sudden collapse of the Soviet empire with Gorbechov's introduction of
perestroika and glasnost. We also discussed our own individual histories of our
families coming to America. The memoir, though the author's first book , was
beautifully written and included his acerbic humor and wonderful descriptions.
Our next meeting will be in March to discuss The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman. Date and location TBA -- watch for announcements in future newsletters.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
This Friday night, we are celebrating Tu B'Shvat, the New
Year of the Trees. On this holiday, we
celebrate our Jewish tradition of honoring the natural world, the bounty and
beauty of God’s creation. We will honor
Stacy & Ken Laner for the wonderful contributions they have made to our
building’s landscaping. And we have a speaker: Ted Banks, a leader with the
Jewish National Fund, will be speaking about the great advances being made in
Israel to protect the environment. Finally,
we will bless our six 8th graders that are heading to Israel on the Ta’am
Yisrael trip. So don't miss the
celebration - and don't forget to bring something for the oneg!
THE RABBI’S CORNER
February 5-6, 2016 / 27 Shevat 5776
Shabbat Mishpatim
Torah – Exodus 21:1–24:18 / Jeremiah 34:8 - 34:22; 33:25 - 33:26
“The Rule of Law”
Dear Friends,
Every year, the Worldwide
Governance Indicator (WGI) project, supported by the World Bank, rates 215
countries for six dimensions of governance, including Government Effectiveness,
Control of Corruption, and the Rule of Law. Predictably, when you zoom in on
the map of the world to view the Middle East, only two countries are
represented by the color green (which is good). One is the United Arab
Emirates. The other is, of course, Israel, which ranked in the 75th-90th percentile
rating for “Rule of Law” for 2014. (The United States was also rated in the
75th-90th percentile.) This is because the founders of both Israel and the
United States established their countries upon the principles of democracy,
freedom, equality and the “Rule of Law,” a critical concept which plays a major
role in this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Mishpatim.
The majority of Parashat
Mishpatim deals with different forms of jurisprudence, in particular injuries,
theft and damages. According to the Midrash (Shemot Rabbah 19), the Torah
delineated societal laws immediately after the nation received the Ten
Commandments in order to convey the importance of the rule of law in Judaism.
“Rabbi says: Just as the Holy One, blessed be God, warned regarding observing
the Commandments, so too He warned about the law. Why? Because the world
depends on it, as it is said: ‘By justice a king sustains the land...’ (Prov.
29:4). Rabbi Eliezer said: “The entire Torah depends on justice. Therefore the
Holy One, blessed be God, gave laws after the Ten Commandments…”
While the rule of law in America
is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States, Israel’s political
leaders have not been able to agree on a constitution for the Jewish state.
Nonetheless, grounded in the Basic Laws passed by the Knesset, Israel’s Supreme
Court has assumed the role of protecting civil liberties and upholding the rule
of law by developing a body of case law protecting civil liberties almost as if
a Bill of Rights existed. The court’s decisions have protected, among other
liberties, freedom of speech and equality as fundamental values of the Israeli
legal system. As a result, in practice Israelis largely enjoy the same civil
liberties as citizens in other Western democracies.
Israel’s devotion to liberty is
remarkable given the country’s neighborhood—where many regimes deny their
populations the most basic rights. Israel has followed the model of the United
States in its fundamental commitment to democracy, rule of law, freedom of
speech, press, religion and equal rights for all of its citizens. This Shabbat,
when we read Parashat Mishpatim, let us give thanks that we live in a country
which strives to uphold the rule of law, and let us commit ourselves to ensure
that Israel, a bastion of freedom and democracy in the Middle East, remains
strong, safe and secure.
Shabbat shalom.
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow.
EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
In an effort to inspire on-time attendance, we will be holding a raffle
each Sunday morning at 9:00am. Students will be able to participate in the
raffle if they are at Shir Hadash in the sanctuary before the 9:00am drawing.
The winner each week will be entitled to a $5 gift card from Shop Shir Hadash.
Additionally, any student who is on time four weeks in a row will be
entitled to some special Shir Hadash swag (carabiner, water bottle, etc). An
excused absence (in which a parent has let Rabbi Seeg know in advance that a
student will not be present by 9:00am on a given Sunday) will not count against
the four in a row, but an unexcused absence will.
See you at 9:00am sharp on Sunday!
Reminder of Upcoming Friday Evening Services
- Kitah Dalet (4th grade): Friday, March 4 -- Regular Service at 7:30pm.
- Kitah Heh (5th grade): Friday, April 1 -- Regular Service at 7:30pm.
- Kitah Vav (6th grade): Friday, May 6 -- Regular Service at 7:30pm.
Does your kid love music? Does he or she play an instrument? If so, then we have just what you need. Introducing the Shir Hadash youth band: The Menschkins! This group will meet every few weeks or so for a short jam/practice after Sunday school. While the group will receive guidance from the various musicians in our Shir Hadash community, it will be predominantly student/peer led. Whether a student plays an instrument or just loves music, all are welcome to participate. The first gathering is planned for February 7 immediately after school. To those about to rock, we salute you!
A Change to Chugim (Electives)
In order to
allow Rabbi Seeg to be available to students and teachers in the classrooms,
the music chug he taught is being suspended for the time being. If we can find
a new person to lead it, we will bring it back. In the meantime, we are looking
for individuals to lead a one-time chug (or
more, if you like) on any subject you like that can be connected in some way to
Judaism. Please contact Rabbi Seeg at learning@shir-hadash.org
if you or someone you know would be interested.
Lunch & Learn with the Rabbis
All are welcome to join Rabbis Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and Scott Segal for a contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. We meet on Thursdays from noon to 1:00pm at Shir Hadash. Pack a lunch and come in!
TEEN NEWS
Upcoming Ra’am Events:
- February 8: Community service program @ 7:00pm - details to follow!
- February 22: Calling all 8th graders! Come check out the fun at Camp Ra'am. Save the date - 6:30 - 8:00pm. Location TBA.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
The Social Action Committee needs your help. On Sunday, February 21, 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 2:00 to 4:30 pm. We need a minimum of 25 volunteers; that's about 8-10 families.
Each family will be responsible for bringing an entrée that will feed 10 to 15 individuals, one gallon of milk, one large bag of frozen mixed vegetables, one large bag of fruit (oranges, bananas, etc.) and dessert. Please Note: If you sign up to participate in this event but need to cancel at the last minute, you will still be expected to provide food even if you cannot attend.
If you are interested in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart at mjlenhart@comcast.net before February 15. More information will be sent to all volunteers approximately one week before the February 21 event.
Thank you in advance for your support! Please feel free to contact Mark should you have any questions.
DONATIONS
To the Samuel Andes Scholarship Fund
- Drs. Jonathan and Martha Andes Ziskind, in honor of Esther Andes 90th birthday.
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 for Your Valentine!
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:
Albertson's -- 1% Bonus Rebate, January 23 - February 5
California Pizza Kitchen -- 5% Bonus Rebate, January 30 - February 12
Landry's -- 1% Bonus Rebate, January 30 - February 12
Royal Caribbean -- 2% Bonus Rebate, January 30 - February 12
See's Candy -- 2% Bonus Rebate, January 23 - February 5
TGIFriday's -- 1% Bonus Rebate, January 23 - February 5
Bonus Offers:
Albertson's -- 1% Bonus Rebate, January 23 - February 5
California Pizza Kitchen -- 5% Bonus Rebate, January 30 - February 12
Landry's -- 1% Bonus Rebate, January 30 - February 12
Royal Caribbean -- 2% Bonus Rebate, January 30 - February 12
See's Candy -- 2% Bonus Rebate, January 23 - February 5
TGIFriday's -- 1% Bonus Rebate, January 23 - February 5
Double Your Fun: Bonus $20 for $20 Dave & Buster's® Electronic Coupon with Qualifying Orders! Offer valid on physical or ScripNow eCards on ShopWithScrip.com through January 29.
Save on shipping when Shir Hadash orders Bath & Body Works gift cards, ScripNow®, or ReloadNow® through January 29, of at least $150 combined in Bath & Body Works physical cards, ScripNow, or ReloadNow the order will ship for FREE.
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:
- Zinbarg
- Schleicher
- Herbin
- Farahmandpour
- Callistein
- Estes-Goldman
- Idleman
- Fisher-Rohde
- Sultan
- Sulpar
- M. Graff
- Fargotstein
- Friedman
- Andes
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