WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
"Let's Make Our Building a Home"
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- A Fond Farewell to Lillian, March 17
- Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
- Book Club, March 21
- New! Community Seder, April 11
- New! MOSH Game Night, April 15
- Coffee House Night, April 22
- Chili Cook-Off, April 29
- What Does Community Mean to You?
- Save the Date! Annual Meeting and Elections, May 21
Creative Worship and Ritualpm
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, March 17, 7:30pm
- Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday, March 18, 9:30am
- Oneg Leaders Needed
The Rabbi’s Corner
Youth Education Announcements- "Working Together"
- Religious School, March 19
- Thank You, Purim Carnival Volunteers...
- ...and Thank You, Silent Auction Donors and Participants
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
- Sunday Morning Speaker Series: HIAS, March 19
- Monday Evening Adult Ed: The Ethics of Capital Punishment, March 20
- Thursday Lunch 'n Learn
Social Action
Community Events
- Help Pack and Deliver Food for Passover, March 26 and April 2
- Four Buckets of Mac & Cheese Donated to ARK Food Pantry!
- Subscribe to Reconstructionism Today Newsletter
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Please join us for Shabbat Services on March 17, when we will thank Lillian Zoloto for her years of devoted service as our congregation's office administrator. A festive oneg for the entire community will follow the service.
We are also searching for candidates to fill Lillian's role when she leaves. If you know of anyone who would be interested, please have them contact our executive director, Geoff Prass, at executivedirector@shir-hadash.org or 847 498 8218.
Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
In the next month, Shir Hadash will be installing a Memorial Wall with individual plaques recording the Hebrew and English name of the deceased and the date of birth and passing. The plaques will be located at the back of the sanctuary. Having a Memorial Plaque for a loved one ensures that Yahrzeit will be observed for them in perpetuity by our congregation. On the Yahrzeit, or anniversary of the death, the lights next to the plaques of those whose death occurred on the same Hebrew date will be lit.
The cost for a plaque is $360. Many congregants prepay and reserve plaques. As always, Shir Hadash is extremely grateful for your contributions. What better way to both commemorate a loved one and support our congregation than to purchase a Yahrzeit Plaque on our Memorial Wall? You may register for the plaque(s) through our web site, or request a paper order form by calling the office (847 498 8218),
Book Club, March 21
Our next Book Club meeting will be this Tuesday, March 21 at 7:30pm at the home of Cheryl Schultz, 1381 Sunnyside in Highland Park. The book is The Seven Good Years, a memoir by Etgar Keret. The book contains "vignettes of a life lived on the constant bittersweet edge of surrealism." Whether you have read the book or not, come join us to share in these very personal tales. Please RSVP to Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com. As usual, kindly bring noshes to share.
New! Community Seder, April 11
Mark your
calendar for our annual Shir Hadash Community Seder on Tuesday, April 11. We will
celebrate Passover together with a veggie/dairy potluck. Admission is $24 for
adult members, $28 for adult non-members, $10 for children ages 4-12, free for
children under three. Watch for more info and registration links coming in your
email soon.New! MOSH Game Night, April 15
If you liked Risk, Stratego or Monopoly as a
kid, come try out the modern wave of European, thematic strategy, and social
strategy games. Ira snd Susan Kalina are
being kind enough to host the event, which will start at 7:30pm on Saturday,
April 15. To RSVP, click on the event in the Shir Hadash Calendar.
Our next evening of talent and treats will be Saturday, April 22. Everyone is welcome, as performers or audience members! Watch for more details to come. To help out with planning or to learn more, contact Margie at MargiePromoPro@aol.com.
Chili Cook-Off, April 29
Mark your calendar and get ready to show off your chili-making skills -- or just enjoy a delicious dinner prepared by fantastic SH cooks! The Great Shir Hadash Chili Cook-Off will be April 29, beginning at 6:30pm. More details will be on the website soon!
What Does Community Mean to You?
Our recent Membership Survey revealed that more than 80% named
"Community" as one of the top 3 reasons they belong for Shir
Hadash. So, at the Town Hall meeting at the end of January we broke into
small groups to answer the question “What Does Community Mean to You?”
Here's what we heard:
*Family *Friends *Fellowship *Belonging *Togetherness *Acceptance *People You Can Count On *Common Interests/Beliefs *Services *Activities *Learning *Moral Fabric of Judaism *Pass on to Younger Generation *Counseling *Reconstructionism *Rabbi *Warmth *Shared History
*Culture, Not Just a Religion *Interfaith Welcoming
We look forward to continuing the conversation as we strive to
make Shir Hadash a place that inspires meaningful and contemporary Jewish
Living.
Save the Date! Annual Meeting and Elections, May 21
The Shir Hadash 2017 annual meeting will be held on Sunday,
May 21 at 9:15am at the synagogue. (The
meeting will be followed by the annual end-of-the-year School Assembly.) You will be asked to vote on nominees
for open positions on the Board of Directors, and to approve the Shir Hadash
budget for 2017-18.
We have several open positions on the Board for the coming
year. Interested in getting involved? Contact Fred Andes, fandes@btlaw.com, for
information. Completed nomination forms must be returned to the office by March
31.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Please join us for a very special service honoring our dear Lillian Zoloto as she retires (see above). Please bring your favorite dessert or other tasty treat to add to our oneg! If you would like to make a donation to the synagogue in Lillian’s honor, please click here.
Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday, March 18, 9:30am
Oneg Volunteers Needed
We need oneg leaders for this week and future services. Simply 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. Feel free to sign up for any that fit in your schedule. Thank you for participating!
THE RABBI’S CORNER
March 17-18,
2017 / 20 Adar I 5777
Torah:
Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Maftir:
Numbers 19:1 - 19:22 | Shabbat Parah
Haftarah:
Ezekiel 36:16 - 36:38 | Shabbat Parah
“Working
Together”
Dear
Friends,
Over the
past two weeks, many of us have been captivated by the amazing success of the
Israeli baseball team in the World Baseball Classic. Despite being the last
team to qualify, Israel has defeated powerhouses such as South Korea and Cuba.
While most of players are actually Americans, this is no team of all-star
ringers. Rather most of the players are minor leaguers and journeymen. Their
success is not the result of exceptional individual talent, but because they
have come together as a team.
This is also
precisely the message conveyed in the first section of this week’s Torah
portion Ki Tisa. Moses is instructed that when he wishes to count the men above
the age of twenty (eligible for military service), he must do so by requiring
the contribution of a half-shekel coin from each person and then counting the
coins.
The powerful
and meaningful lessons are clear: Every person must do his or her part. No one
may shirk his or her responsibility. And finally, only with a communal unity of
purpose can we marshal the full force of our power for good. Success relies on everyone’s participation.
Only through our willingness to work together can we truly represent the
entirety of Klal Yisrael—a collective of many voices united in one mission to
be a Light Unto the Nations.
To enjoy past entries of the Rabbi's Corner, please visit our website.
YOUTH EDUCATION
We are looking forward to seeing all our students at 9:15 this Sunday.
Thank You, Purim Carnival Volunteers!
We had a
wonderfully successful Purim Carnival this past weekend. Everyone had a ton of
fun and we raised a lot of money for the school. A huge thank you to the Purim
Committee for making this all happen: Cindy Grills, Julie Wellisch, Lisa Burton
Radzely, Ari Cohen, Steve Zohn, Felicia Pearlman, Alan and Jen Bernover, Chana
Sulpar, Katie and Adam Pierce, and Beth Pollock. This is an amazing group of
volunteers who put in a lot of time and energy to put on a fabulous Purim
Carnival.
A particular
shout-out goes to Cindy Grills whose vision and energy were the driving force
behind the event.
A big thank
you also goes out to all of the non-committee members who donated money, items,
and time to make the Carnival happen.
A round of
applause for the spectacular Not Ready for Purim Players who brought the story
of Purim to life as few can: Zoe Berthold, Alex Schleicher, Julia Mostow,
Spencer Soglin, and Lizzy Soglin.
Volunteering
is a great way to make connections with other Shir Hadash members and help the
community in the process. There are always opportunities to help, so get
involved and have some fun!
And Thank You, Silent Auction Donors and
Participants!
Thank you to
everyone who donated items to silent auction, those who asked businesses to
donate, and the people who bid on items.
We raised $800 for the school!
While it
would be too lengthy to mention everyone who bid on items, we'd like to recognize
the businesses and members who donated items to the silent auction:
*Basketworks *Dave &
Buster's *Chicago
Wolves Hockey *Continental
Restaurant & Banquets *Gail's
Carriage Way *Grande
Jake's *Hair Express
Unlimited *Marriott
Theatre *NetBurke,
LLC *Nickel City *Original Bagel
& Bialy *Pinstripes *Sybaris Pool
Suites *Tortorice's
Pizza *Trades of
Hope *Uncle Dan's
Outfitters
*Grills
Family *Radzely
Family *Schleicher
Family *Wellisch
Family
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
Sunday Speaker Series: HIAS-Chicago, March 19
For years, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) has helped Jews from all over the world immigrate to and settle in the United States. Now, as the worldwide refugee crises reaches new levels, HIAS is using its wealth of experience to help all refugees. On March 19, director of HIAS - Chicago, Jessica Schaffer, will join us from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. to share about the resettlement work HIAS is doing, why it is particularly important for the Jewish community to support refugees, and how we can engage with this critical work.
Monday Evening Adult Ed: The Ethics of Capital Punishment, March 20
Is it morally defensible to put someone to death for a crime? Are there specific rules or guidelines that Judaism offers to limit or even eliminate capital punishment? How do the ethics of capital punishment compare to long-term imprisonment? Explore these questions and more as we explore the ethical traditions surrounding execution. The conversation starts at 6:30pm. Contact Rabbi Seeg for more information.
Monday Evening Adult Ed: The Ethics of Capital Punishment, March 20
Is it morally defensible to put someone to death for a crime? Are there specific rules or guidelines that Judaism offers to limit or even eliminate capital punishment? How do the ethics of capital punishment compare to long-term imprisonment? Explore these questions and more as we explore the ethical traditions surrounding execution. The conversation starts at 6:30pm. Contact Rabbi Seeg for more information.
Thursday Lunch 'n' Learn
Join Rabbi Eitan or Rabbi Seeg for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. We meet every Thursday at 1:00pm, no RSVP necessary. Don’t be surprised if archaeology, sociology, and contemporary world affairs as well as law, medicine, and business ethics enter the lively conversation as we plumb the deeper meanings of Judaism’s core text. Participants are encouraged to share their views, questions, and opinions.SOCIAL ACTION
Help Pack and Deliver Passover Food Boxes, March 26 and April 2
Shir Hadash will be joining with Maot Chitim of Greater Chicagoland to help them pack and deliver Passover food boxes for needy Jewish families all over the Chicago area. There are two different ways you can help, either packing food boxes or delivering them.
- Packing: Sunday, March 26, from 9:30 to 10:15am at 7100 N. McCormick Blvd, Lincolnwood.
- Delivery: Sunday, April 2, from 9:30 to 11:30am in the Buffalo Grove/Wheeling area. We will be delivering 100 food packages, in large boxes weighing approximately 20 lbs. each. We deliver to several large complexes and use a rental truck to transport the boxes.
Four Buckets of
Mac & Cheese Donated to ARK Food Pantry!
The ARK Food Pantry greatly appreciates our donating four overflowing buckets of macaroni
and cheese. A special thank you to Moreh
Nathaniel's Path of the Righteous class for collecting and decorating boxes.COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
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 an Early Spring!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 for supporting Shir Hadash with your SHOP purchases!
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment