WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
"Let's Make Our Building a Home"
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- New! Join Shir Hadash's Adult Choir, Lahaka!
- Saturday! Wine and Cheese Tasting, January 14
- Next Week! Book Club, January 19
- Coffee House Night, January 28
- Town Hall Meeting, January 29
- SH Warehouse/Office Space Now Available for Rent
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday, January 14, 9:30am
- Shabbat Morning Minyan Service, Saturday, January 14, 10:00am
The Rabbi’s Corner
Youth Education Announcements- "May God Bless You"
- Religious School, January 15
- Meeting on the Future of Youth and Life-Long Learning at Shir Hadash, January 15
Youth Activities
- Dinner/Movie/Havdalah Night for Grades 2-4, January 14
- Teen Tubing Trip, January 22
- Adult Ed Classes Resume
- Two-Part Class on Institutional Racism, January 15 and 22
Social Action
Donations
Ongoing Fundraisers
- January Social Action Activities
- Help Shir Hadash Feed the Needy, February 19
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGift, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Lahaka is Looking for New
Singers/Instrumentalists
If you were at our High Holiday Services (HHS) in the fall you got to
experience the wonderful sounds of our Lahaka (Shir Hadash's choir), led by our
new music director, Marek Rachelski. If you sing or play a musical instrument
and want to learn more about Lahaka, or simply want to attend one of our next
rehearsals to give us a try, please contact Ken Wexler (ken.wexler@lockton.com
or 847-769-8247).
There is no obligation and you don't even need to know how to read
music, as many of our members are in the same boat! We provide all sheet music and we'll be
working on a learning CD for our HHS for next year. What do you have to lose?
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.
Town Hall Meeting, January 29
Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style, January 28
Coffee House Night – Open Mic
Style is just a couple of weeks away!
Talent, treats, and friends -- that’s
Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style!
Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 28. What a great way to start
the New Year! Doors open at 6:30pm,
performances will be from about 7:00 to 10:00pm.
If you are planning to be Talent
of any type, please click on thislink 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.
A great audience is essential for a great evening! Enjoy our cozy
atmosphere, comfortable seating hot beverages, baked treats and the amazing
talent of our friends. Remember, everyone
is welcome to participate. Any talent -- Dancers, Actors, Musicians,
Storytellers, Group Acts -- you never know
who’s going to pop by! Can’t
wait to see you all there!
Warehouse/Office
Space Now Available for Rent
Shir Hadash
is looking for a new commercial tenant for the warehouse and office space in
the back portion of our building (the space previously occupied by RAILS). We
have up as much as 5,995 square feet or as little as 3,274 square feet
available to lease. This is a particularly great opportunity for a non- profit
organization since we already have a tax-exempt status, but would also be a
good fit for a profit business, or even a short-term seasonal business.
For the full
listing sheet of the rental space click
on this link. If you or someone that
you know would be interested, please contact Cindy Grills with Castle Homes
Realty at (847) 409-3707 or email her at homes@cindygrills.com for further
information.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday, January 14, 9:30am (Sanctuary)
We welcome Ariella Bernstein to the Bima as Bat Mitzvah. For her mitzvah project, she videotaped interviews with several Holocaust survivors in order to share and preserve their stories for future generations. Her project was featured in a recent Deerfield Review article. Mazel tov!
Shabbat Morning Minyan Service, Saturday, January 14, 10:00am (Youth Lounge)
We also will hold a small, informal Shabbat service in the Youth Lounge. Everyone is welcome to participate -- we will have English readings, Torah portions, and other roles to fill. Afterwards, we will enjoy a light kiddush lunch together. (Set up/clean up help is always appreciated!) Please let the Worship committee know that you are planning to come by emailing Fred at fandes@btlaw.com.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
January 13-14, 2017 / 16 Tevet
5777
Shabbat Vayekhi
Torah - Genesis 47:28-50:26 / Haftarah - I Kings 2:1-12
“May God Bless You”
Dear Friends,
Shabbat dinner is one of my absolute favorite times of the week. Amidst all the rushing to eat quickly and get
out to services, there is one very special moment for which I wait all week
long. As we gather around the table and
the candles are lit, I get my long-awaited chance to bless my family. I love
it. I walk to my children – one at a
time, and place my hands on their heads. I tell them how proud of them I am and
then recite the traditional Jewish words that parents have used to bless their
children for thousands of years. And
then I get to bless my wife and tell her how magnificent she is – truly an
Eishet Chayil – a Woman of Valor. I am
moved each time, because for that brief moment, I get to express my nachas -
the deep and overflowing pride and love I feel for my family. I realize how truly blessed and fortunate we
are to have each other. What a beautiful
and moving Jewish moment that we can share, all of us together.
In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob gets to bless his sons and
grandsons. In fact, one of the blessings
that he says, we still use today. It has become the center of the traditional
shabbat blessing for children: “May God make you like Efraim and Menasheh.”
Blessing each other is a beautiful thing. Once we cut through the discomfort and
self-consciousness that comes with anything new, we will find that blessing
each other is centering and powerful. In
being blessed, we feel supported, strengthened and reassured. Blessing each
other is loving. in being blessed, we
feel that love.
This shabbat, I want you to take a page from Jacob’s playbook and start
blessing your family. And then in the
coming weeks, months and years, keep at it.
The Jewish family is the core of the Jewish community. Blessing each other is part of the glue that
binds.
Here’s a blessing to share with your children, nephews, nieces,
grandchildren, etc.:
May God bless you and guide
you. Be strong for the truth, charitable
in your words, just and loving in your deeds. A noble heritage has been entrusted to you; guard it well.
May God inspire you to live in
the tradition of Efraim and Menasheh, Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel.
May God bless you and keep you.
May God’s presence shine on you
and be gracious to you.
May God’s presence be lifted up
toward you and give you peace.
I love Shabbat dinner. It’s when
I get the chance to bless my family.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
YOUTH EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
We look forward to seeing all our students and families at 9:15am. (Note that this is a change from the original school schedule due to a previously-announced change in the Kallah retreat: we have school this weekend, and will not have school over President's Day Weekend.)
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.
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 no later than 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
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
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.
Help Shir Hadash Feed
the Needy, February 19
On Sunday, February 19, Shir Hadash will be serving over 90
meals for needy individuals in our community. In order to provide the food and
support for this meaningful project, we are looking for five or six families (18-20
people total) who are able to prepare, cook, and serve at the St. Paul's
Lutheran Church soup kitchen in Evanston. This event will require
volunteers to be available from 2:00 to 4:00pm on February 19.
Each family will be responsible for bringing a precooked meat or
pasta entrée, one large bag of frozen mixed vegetables, and a dessert to feed approximately
10-12 people.
If you are interested in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart at
mjlenhart@comcast.net and he will be able to sign you up and answer any
questions you might have.
DONATIONS
To the General Fund
- Linda & Michael Sidell, in memory of Adrienne Hurwitz
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.
Thank you to the following families who participated in SHOP last week!
Fargotstein
M. Fields
G. Graff
Grills
Andes
Reznik
Schleicher
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
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