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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
"Let's Make Our Building a Home"
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Wine and Cheese Tasting, January 14
- Book Club, January 19
- Coffee House Night, January 28
- Town Hall Meeting, January 29
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Family Shabbat, Friday January 6, 5:30pm
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday January 6, 7:30pm
The Rabbi’s Corner
Youth Education Announcements- "Bringing Peace to the World with Water"
- Religious School Resumes January 8
- Meeting on the Future of Youth and Life-Long Learning at Shir Hadash, January 15
- January/February Schedule Change
Youth Activities
- Dinner/Movie/Havdalah Night for Grades 2-4, January 14
- Teen Tubing Trip, January 22
- Adult Ed Classes Resume
- New! Two-Part Class on Institutional Racism, January 15 and 22
Social Action
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Social Action Planning Meeting, January 8
- January Social Action Activities
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGift, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Wine and Cheese Tasting, January 14
Please join your Shir Hadash friends on Saturday, January 14 for an evening of wine tasting at Mehran Farahmandpour's house in Long Grove. We will have several wines to compare, ranging from sparkling wine, whites, reds, and even Mehran's own wine (if you feel adventurous). A variety of cheeses will be paired with the wines. Bringing a bottle of your personal favorite to share is optional.
Invite your friends! We'll start at 7:00pm. $18/person. The address is 3996 Orchard Lane in Long Grove. Please RSVP by clicking here. For more information, email Mehran at mehranf@aol.com.
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.
Members, nonmembers, a great evening depends on our audience too! Enjoy
our cozy atmosphere, comfortable seating hot beverages, baked treats and the
amazing talent of our friends. Can’t wait to see you all there!
Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style,
January 28
Happy New Year! Be prepared for another wonderful evening of talent and treats! Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style is
on the calendar for Saturday, January 28. Doors open at 6:30pm, performances
will be from about 7:00pm to 10:00pm. The big day is only a couple of weeks
away!
- Talent and Bakers: please click on this link (or go to the main website and click on the Coffee House link) so we know who you are and can plan properly. Or you can contact Margie at MargiePromoPro1@aol.com and put “Talent”, “Baker” or “House” in the subject line. Remember, everyone is welcome to participate! Dancers, Actors, Musicians, Storytellers, Group Acts -- you name it – we want you!
Town Hall Meeting, January 29
Mark your calendars for a Town Hall Meeting on Sunday morning, January 29, at 9:30am. More details to follow soon, but we wanted to let everyone know so you can plan to be there!CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Families with young children are invited to a post-Hanukkah celebration! We'll enjoy a dinner of hot dogs and latkes at 5:30. At 6:00, Rabbi Eitan will lead a kid-friendly service that includes the Shabbat prayers along with a story, song, and dance. Following the service, we will join for refreshments and a Shabbat activity. Please bring treats to share.
Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, January 6, 7:30pm
As part of our Friday evening service, we will welcome a special guest: Daniel Baskin,
an Evanston resident and former soldier in the Israeli armed forces. Daniel has
founded an amazing group, called Ani Shlishi, that is making a real difference
for the poor in Israel. Their work can
be a model for how we can help the less fortunate here as well. Click here to learn more about this
inspiring program.
So come hear about Ani Shlishi - and celebrate Shabbat with us. Of course, please remember to bring snacks
for the oneg.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
January 6-7, 2017 / 9 Tevet 5777
Torah - Genesis 44:18-47:27 / Haftarah - Ezekiel 37:15-28
“Bringing Peace to the World with Water”
Dear Friends,
We are at the end of the Book of Genesis and Joseph has rescued his
father and brothers from the famine in Canaan and brought them to live in
Egypt. Following the fateful meeting
between Jacob, Joseph’s father and the King of Egypt, we read that Jacob
blessed the king before departing. What blessing did he offer the Egyptian monarch?
According to the rabbinic commentaries on this portion, the most important
blessing that Jacob could offer is water—that the Nile should rise regularly
and bring water to a famished countryside. This would, of course, end the
famine—which would ensure the Pharaoh both a long reign and a long life. As far
back as Jacob’s time, the steady supply of water represented a critical aspect
of national and international stability.
Watching the horrors unfolding in Syria over recent months, some have
suggested that the roots of the conflict began with a dire shortage of water. A
2013 article in Smithsonian Magazine suggests that a terrible drought brought
about the circumstances that led to the terrible civil war that continues to
rage in Syria. Ever aware of this reality, Israel is playing an important role
in providing critical water supplies to its neighbors in the region.
Last month, Israel announced that it will soon begin laying a new
pipeline that will double the water supply Israel provides to Jordan. In
exchange, Israel will receive water from the Jordanian desalination plant to be
established in Aqaba. Additionally, Jordan recently chose the five firms that
will build the first phase of a multi-million-dollar canal linking the Red Sea
to the shrinking Dead Sea, following the historic 2015 water treaty between
Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.
As water grows increasingly scarce not only in the Middle East, but
also around the world, Israel’s water technologies will play a critical role in
regional and global stability. Moreover, Israel’s desire and willingness to
share its know-how and its water resources represent an important anchor of
stability and a force for peace in very volatile region. Water is a blessing
that brings health, life, and peace.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
YOUTH EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Welcome back! We look forward to seeing our rested, happy students and families return on January 8.
Meeting on the Future of Youth and Life-Long Learning at Shir Hadash,
January 15
On January 15, 9:30-10:30am in the Sanctuary, share your thoughts and
ask questions about the future of youth and life-long learning at Shir
Hadash. Rabbi Eitan, President Glenn
Graff, and Vice President of Education Lisa Burton Radzely will facilitate this
discussion. If you can't attend, feel
free to contact any of them.
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 15 and we will not have school on February 19. 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.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Dinner/Movie/Havdallah Night for Grades 2-4, January 14
On Saturday, January 14, there will be a special program for our 2nd-4th graders. This will be a fun chance for the kids to get to know each other better! We'll have a short Havdallah service, a pizza dinner, and a fun movie. The program will run from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Parents are not required to stay with their kids but are welcome to if so desired.$5/child for Shir Hadash members, $8 for non members. For more info, please contact Rabbi Seeg.
On Sunday, January 22 our 8th-12th graders will be going snow tubing at Wilmot Mountain! We'll have lunch together at Shir Hadash at 12:30pm, and then go by bus for about two hours of snow tubing at Wilmot with an expected return time of approximately 5:30pm. $20 for Shir Hadash members, $25 for non-members (lunch, bus transportation, and tubing included). Please click here to RSVP by January 18.
ADULT EDUCATION
Check out these engaging Adult Ed opportunities that meet during our Religious School hours. All are welcome.
- Torah and Philosophy, 9:30-10:30am
- Learning the Shir Hadash Prayer Book, 10:30-11:30am
- Modern Hebrew, 11:30am-12:30pm
New! Two-Part Class on Institutional Racism, January 15 and 22
We are very excited to welcome Rabbi Amram Abraham as a guest
instructor for a special two-part Sunday morning class entitled “There are No Racist
Americans; It is Just Racist America.” This class on institutional racism is
designed to help participants understand how racism has evolved from slavery
into the structured racism of contemporary America. Institutional racism is structured in such a
way that American communities can preserve racism without being perceived as
actual racists. Participants will
explore the evolution of racism in today’s business language as well as the
pedagogy of our educational system, all of which lead to the acceptance,
defense, and overall expectation of racism.
The class will run from 11:00am until 12:30pm on January 15 and 22, and
there will be bagels and coffee available prior to the beginning of the
program. No RSVP necessary.
SOCIAL ACTION
On January 8, 10:00-11:15am, let's brainstorm ideas for social action activities and start planning them. We'l meet at Shir Hadash in the kitchen. If you can't attend the meeting but are interested in helping or have ideas, please email Lisa Burton Radzely at shirhadashsac@gmail.com.
January Tikkun Olam Activities
For Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World) in January, we will participate
in social action by developing a deeper understanding of racism. Come to Shir
Hadash January 15 and 22 for Rabbi Abram Abraham's free adult education classes
on institutional racism. See the Adult Education section for details.
Also, we invite Shir Hadash members to partake in one or more of the
numerous Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day projects offered in our local
communities. Contact Lisa Burton Radzely at shirhadashsac@gmail.com if you
would like ideas.
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
A New Year to 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 or purchased during Sunday School.
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
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