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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
"Let's Make Our Building a Home"
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Head of Reconstructionist Movement Visits Shir Hadash
- Last Minute Hanukkah Shopping? Easy Ways to Help Shir Hadash
- Book Club, January 19
- Coffee House Night, January 28
- Shir Hadash Gift Shop
Creative Worship and Ritual
- No Shabbat Services this Week
The Rabbi’s Corner
Religious School- “Mi Y’malel – Who Can Retell”
- Religious School on Winter Break
- January/February Schedule Change
- Winter/Spring Registration (Grades 3-7)
Youth Activities
- Dinner/Movie/Havdalah Night for Grades 2-4, January 14
- Teen Tubing Trip, January 22
- Adult Ed Classes on Winter Break
Social Action
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Toy Drive Makes Holidays Bright for Kids in Need
- Social Action Planning Meeting, January 8
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGift, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Rabbi Deborah Waxman, Head of the Reconstructionist
Movement, Visits Shir Hadash
Rabbi
Deborah Waxman, the president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and
Jewish Reconstructionist Communities, was our guest at shabbat worship services
on Saturday morning, December 17. Rabbi
Waxman carried a Torah scroll along with president Glenn Graff and executive vice
president Fred Andes during our Torah parade and dancing. She offered a dvar Torah commentary after the
Torah reading focusing on the meaning of Jacob’s name change to ‘Israel'
following his wrestling with the angel.
According the Rabbi Waxman, we are the Children of Israel, inheritors of
a proud heritage. As Reconstructionist
Jews, we have the responsibility of being a voice for progressive liberal
values in the Jewish world.
Following
the service, a wonderful buffet lunch was served during which Rabbi Waxman took
questions and spoke about issues of concern to our movement, such as growth,
outreach, marketing, and sharing the Reconstructionist message throughout the
Jewish world. She spoke about the
achievements of our nationally recognized summer camp in the Poconos, Camp JRF,
and plans to open a new program on the west coast in 2018. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet with
leader of our movement and all were delighted to have hosted Rabbi Waxman at
Shir Hadash.
Last minute gifts? SHOP makes it it easy to get the gift cards you need for friends and family, and a portion of each card benefits Shir Hadash at no additional cost to you! Hundreds of gifts cards are available. There are multiple easy ways to get your gift cards: - Pick them out in person on Sundays during Religious School
- Send an email to SHOP@shir-hadash.org to place your order, or
- Order online through https://www.shopwithscrip.com/.
For more information about SHOP, go to http://www.shir-hadash.org/shop/.
Online Shopping Helps Too! Remember to use both iGive and Amazon Smile as you shop for the holidays. iGive is a shopping portal that not only donates a portion of the proceeds to Shir Hadash, but also collects money saving coupons. Amazon Smile is an official part of Amazon.com and is exactly the same as regular Amazon, but going through Smile will direct a portion of your purchase to Shir Hadash. These are effortless ways to help your Shir Hadash community, so please sign up before you shop!
The next Book Club selection will be By Fire, By Water by Mitchell Kaplan. This is a historical novel set during the turbulence of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the Inquisition. The story revolves around Luis De Santangel, a converso , who was the Chancellor of the King of Aragon and the chief financier of Christopher Columbus. We will meet on Thursday, January 19 at 7:30pm at the home of Mickey Herbin, 4050 Dundee Road #103 in Northbrook. For more information. contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
Coffee House Night -- Open Mic Style, January 28
Our next Open Mic will be Saturday, January 28. If you want to share your talent with our supportive audience or be part of the Coffee House Night team, please contact Margie at MargiePromoPro1@aol.com and put “talent” in the subject line to sign up.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
THE RABBI’S CORNER
“Mi Y’malel – Who Can Retell”
Dear Friends,
A traditional Hanukkah song that goes, “Who can retell the things that
befell us, who can count them?” As much
as the song begs us to retell the story of the brave Maccabees and their
struggle against Syrian domination and oppression, there is a larger message. Through telling stories we strengthen our
sense of who we are. Through
storytelling we fortify our Jewish identity.
Hanukkah is about renewing our Jewish identity and rededicating our
lives to Jewish spirituality, learning and community. I can’t think of a better way to fan our
Jewish spark while lighting the Hanukkah menorah than by telling our stories.
As Hanukkah quickly approaches, consider telling stories each night by
the candlelight. What kind of
stories? Family stories. Many families have pictures of relatives who
lived two, three or four generations ago.
Many have old slides and home movies and video. Pull the albums out; set up the projectors
and share stories about parents, grandparents, close relatives and family
friends. Talk about births, bar and bat
mitzvahs, weddings and even funerals.
Talk about the individuals for whom you and your family members are
named. Tell stories about Jewish summer
camp adventures, youth group activities, and family vacations and trips. Tell stories about family holiday
celebrations – Passover seders, High Holidays and even Hanukkah parties from
long ago. Look over the photos and enjoy
the old clothing and hairstyles!
Mi y’malel – who can retell? We
can retell. That’s the real essence of Hanukkah.
I wish you a Happy & Healthy Hanukkah.
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
To read past entries of the Rabbi's blog, please visit our website.
EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
We are on break December 18, December 25, and January 1. We look forward to seeing our rested, happy students and families return on January 8.
January/February Schedule Change
Originally the 6th-12th grade regional retreat (aka Kallah) was going to be scheduled for January 13-15 (MLK Jr. Weekend) and so, as has been the custom, that Sunday was designated as an off day. Kallah has been shifted to February 17-19 (Presidents' Day Weekend) so the off day will shift as well. Now we WILL have school on Sunday, January 15th and we WILL NOT have school on February 19th. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this causes. Please contact Rabbi Seeg, learning@shir-hadash.org, you have any questions or to find out more about Kallah.
Winter/Spring Registration (Grades 3-7) Due December 28
The new curriculum this year includes courses during the Winter/Spring semester that are different than those offered during the fall. While new courses are to be chosen for the two Jewish Studies periods (9:15-10:05 and 11:40-12:30), students will remain in the same Hebrew classes during the middle period (10:15-11:30). Even though the registration references "Period 1" and "Period 2" this only refers to the fact that there are two Jewish Studies periods. Registration is first come, first served so please sign up early to get your first choices. There is a 15-student limit per class. 7th graders will be prioritized for the Holocaust class.Registration is to be completed before Wednesday, December 28 at 9:00am. Students who are not registered at that point will be assigned to classes. Click here for the registration page.. Please contact Rabbi Seeg if there are any questions or if you have issues with the registration page.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Dinner/Movie/Havdalah Night for Grades 2-4, January 14
On Saturday, January 14, there will be a special program for our 2nd-4th graders. We will get together beginning at 5:30 for dinner, a movie and Havdalah. The program is expected to run until approximately 7:30. Parents are not required to stay with their kids but are welcome to if so desired.
On Sunday, January 22 our 8th-12th graders will be going snow tubing at Wilmot Mountain! We will leave by bus at approximately 2:00pm and ride up to Wilmot for two hours of snow tubing with an expected return time of approximately 6:00pm. (The times are subject to change as Wilmot has not yet posted their tubing calendar but they will not be too different than this.) Stay tuned for more specifics on timing and cost.
ADULT EDUCATION
Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Check out these engaging Adult Ed opportunities that meet during our Religious School hours. All are welcome. (We are on Winter Break untill January 8)
- Torah and Philosophy, 9:30-10:30am
- Learning the Shir Hadash Prayer Book, 10:30-11:30am
- Modern Hebrew, 11:30am-12:30pm
SOCIAL ACTION
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Shir Hadash holiday toy
drive! We gave 47 gifts to children
living in group homes. We also provided
a $50 Walmart gift card for them to choose an item they want. Every toy will be greatly appreciated and
enjoyed.
On January 8, 10:00-11:15, let's brainstorm ideas for social action activities and start planning them. If you can't attend the meeting but are interested in helping or have ideas, please email Lisa Burton Radzely at shirhadashsac@gmail.com.
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
SHOP for Hanukkah and More!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 or purchased during Sunday School.
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
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