WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Book Club, October 25
- WISH -- Sign Up ASAP for Challah Bake
- Recap: Coffee House Night -- Open Mic Style
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, September 23, 7:00pm
- High Holidays Schedule and Registration
- High Holiday Service Volunteers Needed -- Teens or Adults Welcome!
The Rabbi’s Corner
Education Announcements- "Not in Heaven"
- No Religious School on October 2 (Erev Rosh Hashanah)
- Tikkun Olam Volunteers (TOV) Family Social Action Program
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
- Modern Hebrew
- Learning the Shir Hadash Prayer Book
- Torah and Philosophy
Social Action
- Travel-Size Toiletries Needed to Help Those Facing Domestic Violence and Homelessness
- Mitzvah Project: Book Drive for Bernie's
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGift, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
We already have a great group of WISH members signed up for the Great Big Challah Bake on November 10 (7:00pm at the Northbrook JCCC). If you are interested in joining us, please contact Cindy Grills to register. Text or call Cindy at 847-409-3707 or email homes@cindygrills.com.
Book Club, October 25
Recap: Coffee House Night --
Open Mic Style
Thank you to everyone for making
our September Open Mic Night another successful evening, with great attendance
and very generous donations in our baskets!
We had about 65 people joining us, both members and non-members. We had
three storytellers, a poet, and ten musicians including a well-known classical
guitarist from our community, all gracing us with their talent. Our beautiful
Bake/Beverage Table had a bounty of amazing treats; thank you to all who made
it so delicious and well managed. Thank
you also to our Front of the House team, our Tech Team, and our Set-up Team for
creating our lovely Coffee House Night environment. Plenty of schmoozing concluded
our evening, accented by encore performances from many of our musicians. Newsletter and Web and in-house support
deserve a hearty thank you for getting the word out!
Because of your generous support
of this programming, we are going to start offering Coffee House Night – Open
Mic Style on a more regular basis. Our
next Open Mic will be Saturday, November
12. Hope to see you for another
wonderful evening enjoying the talent of our friends. If you want to share your talent with our
supportive audience, please contact Margie at MargiePromoPro1@aol.com and put
“talent” in the subject line or click on the November 12 event on the Shir Hadash website calendar to
sign up.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Services this Week
The High Holidays are almost here! You can find a complete schedule of services and events on our website. If you have not yet registered on Shul Cloud, please do so. This is especially important if you are planning to buy High Holiday Member or New High Holiday Member tickets - you'll need to do that in order to be admitted to services. We want you there, so please register! All questions should be directed to cwr@shir-hadash.org.
High Holiday Volunteers Needed
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, September 30, 7:30pm -- In our last "regular" service before the Holidays start, we come together this Friday night (at 7:30) for a Fifth Friday Learners' Service. This service offers a unique opportunity to ask your questions about the Shabbat worship service, the meaning of the prayers, why we do things as we do, and just about anything else in Judaism - including your questions about what's coming up on the Holidays. Rabbi Eitan is ready to take your questions in this creative, lively, informal, and inspiring service style. Don't forget to bring something for the oneg - see you Friday night!
Help us make the Shir Hadash holiday services enjoyable for everyone! Adult and teen volunteers are needed during all services. Volunteers can:
What would you like to do? Email Suzanne at volunteer@shir-hadash.org to be placed on the volunteer list (if you have a particular job and/or day preference, please let her know).
- help us monitor the doors
- assist our holiday guests
- prepare food for the onegs
- hand out and/or collect ARK bags for our food drive for the needy
- help with post-service clean up
What would you like to do? Email Suzanne at volunteer@shir-hadash.org to be placed on the volunteer list (if you have a particular job and/or day preference, please let her know).
THE RABBI’S CORNER
September 30 – October 1, 2016 / 28 Elul 5776
Shabbat Nitzaveem
Torah: Deuteronomy 29:9 - 30:20 / Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10 - 63:9
“Not in Heaven”
Dear Friends,
So the New Year approaches and
soon we will gather for our Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur worship. We will bring our heavy High Holiday
“machzor” prayer books and offer our prayers up towards heaven. We will send
our supplications across the sea and out into the universe. And yet, this
week’s Torah portion, which is the same one we will read again on Yom Kippur
morning, teaches a very special lesson.
The Torah is not in heaven. The Torah is not across the sea. The Torah
is not far away at all. Rather, the portion
tells us, the Torah is very close to us and in fact can be found within our
very own hearts and minds.
The lesson is clear. As we search for renewal and forgiveness in
the coming year, we need not look any farther then ourselves. In fact, the best spiritual work is done not
from looking outwards, but rather looking inwards. We already have the answers and the direction
we need. We already know how to find the
right path towards growth. We already
know how to challenge ourselves to become our best selves. We already know what
we need to improve. We already know how
to seek forgiveness and change our ways for the better.
This week’s portion tells us that
the Torah is not in heaven. It is within
each one of us.
Dawn joins me in sending you and your
families our fondest wishes for a Shanah Tovah – a good year, a healthy year, a
happy year, a prosperous year and a year of life!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Introducing Tikkun Olam Volunteers (TOV), October 9
Join us for our new TOV family social action program, where we will be offering tikkun olam ("repairing the world") opportunities once each month for students, families and the whole Shir Hadash community. These programs will take place immediately after Sunday School at 12:30pm, and will support a variety of causes and organizations.
Our first event will be on October 9 from 12:30-1:30 and includes lunch. Luggage for Freedom is an initiative of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Chicago North Shore Section. Its goal is to provide a sense of dignity to women who are staying at and transitioning out of domestic violence and homeless shelters, by giving them gently-used suitcases packed with personal and household items, including new towels, new sheets, and new toiletries.
We will play our part in this gimmilut chassadim (act of loving kindness) by collecting, sorting, and packing the toiletries that will go in the suitcases. We are asking for RSVPs by October 6 so we can know how much food; please click here to sign up.
Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes (Note: No classes on October 2)
Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes (Note: No classes on October 2)
- New! Modern Hebrew -- Hebrew is not limited to the Torah scroll or the pages of our prayerbook! It is an energetic, modern language that is spoken not just in Israel but all over the world. Limor Wasserman, a highly experienced Israeli teacher, will offer a new Adult Modern Hebrew class on Sundays from 11:30 to 12:30. The class will serve as an introduction to Modern Hebrew, including basic words and phrases that are integral to Hebrew conversation. No prior experience necessary!
- Learning the Shir Hadash Prayer Book -- Our Learning the Shir Hadash Prayer Book course meets on Sundays from 10:30-11:15. The course is intended for those interested in supporting their children's learning, those who are interested in preparing for their own adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or anyone else wanting to more completely participate in Shir Hadash services. If you have questions, please contact Steve Lewin at stevelewin@yahoo.com.
- Torah and Philosophy -- Our Sunday morning discussion group on Torah study and modern Jewish philosophy, led by member Fred Andes, runs for about an hour beginning at 9:30am. We split the hour discussion between review of that week's Torah portion (in English) and discussion of modern Jewish philosophers, who have sought to help us deal with the challenges of being Jewish in our time. If you can't come every week, you can still pop in anytime and participate in the discussion. No special expertise required. If you have questions, please contact Fred at fandes@btlaw.com.
TEEN NEWS
BBYO -- One More Advisor Needed
Our Ra’am BBYO group is looking for a new female co-advisor (to work with our current female advisor). BBYO advisors are volunteers who encourage and support the BBYO teens who are ultimately responsible for chapter programming with their peers. If interested, please contact Rabbi Seeg at learning@shir-hadash.org.SOCIAL ACTION
Travel-Size Toiletries to Help Those Facing Domestic Violence and Homelessness
In support of Shir Hadash's new TOV program, please bring travel-size toiletries when you come to Shir Hadash between now and October 9 to support our Luggage For Freedom donation activity. (Please see our Education section, above, for a detailed description of the TOV initiative.) Toothpaste and toothbrushes are especially needed. Soap, shampoo, and other items for personal hygiene also are appreciated. A collection bucket will be in the lobby. Donations of new or gently used luggage, new sheets (preferably queen or full size), and new towaels are also appreciated. On October 9, 12:30-1:30, we will sort the items and then donate them to Luggage For Freedom, which provides household and personal necessities to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness and domestic violence situations. Everyone is welcome to participate.
Mitzvah Project: Book Drive for Bernie's
Ben Bernstein is collecting children's books for Bernie's Book Bank as his mitzvah project. You can help by leaving gently used books (appropriate for kids up to grade six) in the bins at Shir Hadash or at the Bernstein residence, 145 Fairview Avenue in Deerfield. He will be collecting books until October 6.
Ben Bernstein is collecting children's books for Bernie's Book Bank as his mitzvah project. You can help by leaving gently used books (appropriate for kids up to grade six) in the bins at Shir Hadash or at the Bernstein residence, 145 Fairview Avenue in Deerfield. He will be collecting books until October 6.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Fundraiser Information Now Available on Shul Cloud
You can help Shir Hadash at no extra cost to you by taking advantage of a variety of ongoing fundraisers, including iGive, Amazon Smile, and more. For complete details, click here.
SHOP SHIR HADASH
Fall into SHOP!SHOP is 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. Orders can be picked up in the Shir Hadash office.
Click here for information about current bonus offers!
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:
Bernover
Idelman
Thanks to the following families for participating in SHOP this week:
Bernover
Idelman
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