WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
"Let's Make Our Building a Home"
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Join Shir Hadash's Adult Choir, Lahaka!
- Tonight! 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 Evening Service: Friday, January 20, 7:30pm
- Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service: Saturday, January 21, 9:30am
- Oneg Volunteers Needed
The Rabbi’s Corner
Youth Education Announcements- "Human Power"
- Religious School, January 21
- Kallah is Coming! February 17-19
Youth Activities
- Teen Tubing Trip, January 22
- Kallah Retreat for Grades 6-12, February 17-19
- Adult Ed Classes Resume
- Class on Institutional Racism, January 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?
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. (Do not fear... in addition to discussing the Spanish Inquisition, we'll take a look at Monty Python's perspective. That should add some levity!) We will meet tonight at 7:30pm at the home of Mickey Herbin, 4050 Dundee Road #103 in Northbrook. Please RSVP to Meryl at abenkras@aol.com.
Town Hall Meeting, January 29
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.
Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style, January 28
Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style is just around the corner! Talent, treats, and friends -- that’s Coffee House Night – Open Mic Style. Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 28. 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 here or go to the SH 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!
Mark your calendars for the Town Hall meeting on Sunday morning, January 29 at 9:30 am. Membership will be the focus of the morning, with a sneak peek at the
survey results as well as some small and large group discussions regarding
"feeling part of a Jewish community,” which was the #1 response to
"why I belong to a synagogue today.” Our goal is to begin to define what
that means by recording your thoughts. It's the next step in the process of
determining "The Why" for Shir Hadash. What does that mean?
Watch an edited YouTube version of Simon Sinek's explanation of "Why".
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.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Shabbat Evening Service: Friday, January 20, 7:30pm
This is the week that we begin reading the Book of Exodus and meet
Moses, and it is also the week that we celebrate the birthday of the Reverend
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our Shabbat service will focus on these two great
leaders and champions for freedom. Let’s hear the messages they sent us, so we
can receive their call to take up the cause, and continue the holy work of
pursuing freedom and justice for all. We will also enjoy the singing of our
Lahaka Adult Choir, under the direction of Marek Rachelski. And, we will offer
a special anniversary blessing to Iris and Dennis Bailin. Come celebrate with
us - and please don't forget to bring something for the oneg.
Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service: Saturday, January 21, 9:30am
We will welcome Elizabeth Galvin to the bima as Bat Mitzvah. All are invited to participate in the service.
Oneg Volunteers Needed
We need Oneg volunteers for this Friday, January 20,
and future dates including:
- Friday, February 3 - Service will honor students who are going on the Ta'am Israel Trip
- Friday, February 17
What does it take to volunteer for an Oneg and what
dates do we need? It’s simple: visit www.shir-hadash.org and
sign into the member’s area of ShulCloud (or just follow this link). Choose a date, bring a challah, and show
up. You’ll get a reminder that week, and an email with all the details. There
are more dates than these, so feel free to sign up for any that fit in your
schedule. Thank you for participating!
THE RABBI’S CORNER
January 20-21, 2017 / 23 Tevet 5777
Shabbat Shemot
Torah - Exodus 1:1-6:1 / Haftarah - Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23
“Human Power”
Dear Friends,
This week, we meet Moses as we begin reading the opening passages of
the Book of Exodus. And this week we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther
King, Jr. Both were champions for
freedom and justice. Please come to shabbat services this Friday evening, when
we will discuss the messages of both Moses and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I share this quote from a 1967 Martin Luther
King speech. It is a call to action – a
call to continue the work of both of these great leaders.
"I conclude by saying again today that we have a task and let us go out
with a “divine dissatisfaction.” Let us be dissatisfied until America will no
longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds. Let us be
dissatisfied until the tragic walls that separate the outer city of wealth and
comfort and the inner city of poverty and despair shall be crushed by the
battering rams of the forces of justice. Let us be dissatisfied until those
that live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily
security. Let us be dissatisfied until slums are cast into the junk heaps of
history, and every family is living in a decent sanitary home. Let us be
dissatisfied until the dark yesterdays of segregated schools will be transformed
into bright tomorrows of quality, integrated education. Let us be dissatisfied
until integration is not seen as a problem but as an opportunity to participate
in the beauty of diversity. Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however
black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their
character and not on the basis of the color of their skin. Let us be
dissatisfied. Let us be dissatisfied until every state capitol houses a
governor who will do justly, who will love mercy and who will walk humbly with
his God. Let us be dissatisfied until from every city hall, justice will roll
down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. Let us be dissatisfied
until that day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and everyone
will sit under their own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid. Let us be
dissatisfied. And people will recognize that out of one blood God made all
people to dwell upon the face of the earth. Let us be dissatisfied until that
day when nobody will shout “White Power!”—when nobody will shout “Black
Power”—but everybody will talk about God’s power and human power."[“Where Do We Go From Here?”, 1967; adapted]
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
YOUTH EDUCATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
We look forward to seeing all our students and families at 9:15am.
School Advisory Committee Meeting, January 29
Our next SAC meeting will be January 29 from 11:00 to 12:30, beginning right after the Town Hall Meeting. We will discuss everything planned for second semester. All are welcome.
Kallah is Coming! February 17-19
Next month
over President’s Day weekend, we will have our annual regional retreat for
6th-12th graders. We will leave by bus
on Friday, February 17 around 4:00pm and return on Sunday, February 19 around
1:00pm. The retreat takes place at
Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute (aka OSRUI) in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin and
includes Reconstructionist youth from Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and
Indiana. Our theme this year is “When
Jew-Wish Upon a Star” and the weekend includes a lot of fun and social
activities as well as time for social action, services, and a wee bit o’
learning.
This is a
great chance to get to know other Shir Hadash students as well as peers from around
the region. All of the programming is
created and implemented by a committee of student leaders including a number of
our Shir Hadash madrichim. The
registration form will be available next week. Please contact Rabbi Seeg with
any questions.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
We're getting ready for Kallah, an outstanding chance to join with other Reconstructionist youth from around the Midwest! Scroll up to our "Youth Education" section for details, and contact Rabbi Seeg with any questions.
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 -- We will be studying the Amidah, or Standing Prayer, including its meanings, origins, and significance in modern Jewish life.
- Modern Hebrew, 11:30am-12:30pm
Class on Institutional Racism, January 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.
Monday Night Learning: The Ethics of
Abortion, January 23
Abortion
remains one of the more controversial subjects in America today. With increasing efforts to limit access to
safe, legal abortions under the guise of religious values, we will look at what
Judaism says about the issue and also examine the religious texts used by the
pro-life movement to support their cause.
All sessions start with soup at 6:30pm, and continue with the learning component at
7:00pm. Please RSVP to Rabbi Seeg at
learning@shir-hadash.org ONLY if you will be coming for soup; otherwise, 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 22 for Rabbi Abram Abraham's free adult education class on institutional racism. See the Adult Education section for details.
Help Shir Hadash Feed the Needy, February 19
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.
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.
DONATIONS
To the General Fund
- Janie Baskin
To the Samuel Andes Scholarship Fund
- Martha Andes Ziskind, on the occasion of the yahrzeit of Samuel Andes
- Peggy & Burt Sharpe, in memory of Sidney Berman, father of Stacey Zenn
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!
- Sulpar
- Sultan
- G. Graff
- M. Graff
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
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