WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
- Community Seder, April 11
- MOSH Game Night, April 15
- Coffee House Night, April 22
- Chili Cook-Off, April 29
- Save the Date! Annual Meeting and Elections, May 21
- Support Susan Cohen's "Bathrobe Heroines"
- Happy Retirement Wishes to Lillian
- Recap: MOSH Goes to Chicago Wolves Game
Creative Worship and Ritual
- No Shabbat Services This Week
The Rabbi’s Corner
Youth Education Announcements- "Messages in Clothing"
- Religious School on Spring Break, March 26 and April 2
- Family Passover Program Special Schedule, April 9
- Sunday Morning Torah & Philosophy Class Meeting Off-Site
- Adult Hebrew Reading and Modern Hebrew on Spring Break
- 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
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),
Community Seder, April 11
MOSH Game Night, April 15
If you like Risk, Stratego, or Monopoly as as kid, come try out the modern wave of European, thematic strategy, and social strategy games. Ira and Susan Kalina will host a game night for adults on Saturday, April 15, starting at 7:30pm. Learn a new game and make some new friends! To RSVP, click here.
Our next Coffee House Night evening will be Saturday,
April 22. Did you know you don't have to be a performer to share in the Coffee
House experience? Everyone is invited to enjoy a relaxing evening, with
delicious treats and amazing talent provided by our friends in a club-like
atmosphere. We love a big audience and we already have a great line up of
talent developing! The doors open at 6:30pm with performances running from
7:00 to 10:30.
Attention Talent: All types of acts are welcome to take the stage! If you are planning to perform, please click here to register or email Margie (Margiepromopro1@aol.com -- put "Coffee House Night" in the subject line) so that she can coordinate with the tech crew to help you look and sound your best. Plan on a two-song or 10-12 minute set. If you'd like to help in any other way (baking, tech crew, etc.) please let Margie know. See you on April 22!
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!
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.
Support Susan Cohen and "Bathrobe Heroines"
Support Susan Cohen and "Bathrobe Heroines"
Shir Hadash founding member Susan Cohen is a finalist in the
Lyric Opera’s Community Created Performances competition. The top three groups
with the most votes will create and develop their original work, driven by the
participants and supported by Lyric Opera professional artists and staff.
Working closely with these professionals, the groups will each create and
develop original scripts, songs, and production elements for the performances,
and will take part in the culminating final performances.
Susan has created “Bathrobe Heroines,” in which individuals affected by ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) tell a poignant, stirring musical tale of a misunderstood
disease aiming to bring increased awareness and understanding. Susan, her daughter, and other members of our community
have all dealt with this devastating illness.
Please click
here to learn more and vote for Bathrobe Heroines. You can vote once every
24 hours until April 2nd.
Happy Retirement Wishes to Lillian
During Friday services, we celebrated Lillian Zoloto’s retirement after 15 years as the Shir Hadash Office Administrator. A packed room wished Lillian well, with speeches by a number of people that have worked closely with her. The Board of Directors recognized Lillian’s dedicated service by giving her a lifetime membership to Shir Hadash and a piece of Judaic art. The Lahaka made a donation in Lillian's honor to a fund supporting field trips to the Illinois Holocaust Museum, enabling them to learn the universal lessons of the Holocaust and become empowered to stand up for others.
While Lillian will be retiring from her position and we will miss her warmth and diligence, we look forward to her continuing on as a member of our Community for years to come.
Recap: MOSH Goes to the Chicago Wolves
We had 22 men, women, and kids attending the Wolves game on March 18. It was a great game that went into overtime. In fact, last year's MOSH game also went to overtime, so we might be onto something here. Everybody enjoyed themselves. We all got nice, complimentary Wolves winter hats as a bonus!
During Friday services, we celebrated Lillian Zoloto’s retirement after 15 years as the Shir Hadash Office Administrator. A packed room wished Lillian well, with speeches by a number of people that have worked closely with her. The Board of Directors recognized Lillian’s dedicated service by giving her a lifetime membership to Shir Hadash and a piece of Judaic art. The Lahaka made a donation in Lillian's honor to a fund supporting field trips to the Illinois Holocaust Museum, enabling them to learn the universal lessons of the Holocaust and become empowered to stand up for others.
While Lillian will be retiring from her position and we will miss her warmth and diligence, we look forward to her continuing on as a member of our Community for years to come.
We had 22 men, women, and kids attending the Wolves game on March 18. It was a great game that went into overtime. In fact, last year's MOSH game also went to overtime, so we might be onto something here. Everybody enjoyed themselves. We all got nice, complimentary Wolves winter hats as a bonus!
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
We hope you enjoy celebrating Shabbat with your family.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
March 24-25, 2017 / 27 Adar 5777
Shabbat Vayak’hel-Pikudei / HaHodesh
Torah: Exodus 35:1 - 40:38
Maftir: Exodus 12:1 - 12:20 | Shabbat HaChodesh
Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16 - 46:18 | Shabbat HaChodesh
“Messages in
Clothing”
Dear
Friends,
The clothing
we wear conveys very special messages about the work we do, our status in life,
the solemnity of occasions, and so much more.
Our work clothing often communicates the kinds of tasks we do,
especially when it is clothing created for special duties, such as medical,
construction, military, or sports for example. A man wearing a white shirt and
tie sends a different message than one wearing a t-shirt with an illustration
or logo. A woman in office dress and
another in yoga workout clothing send different messages. Wearing formal gowns
and tuxedos tells us a lot about the solemnity of an occasion, as does wearing
graduation robes, or even swimsuits.
Like it or
not, clothing conveys meaning. This
week’s Torah portion understands this in the description of the High Priest’s
clothing. Although the newly escaped
slaves are living a very modest existence, the clothing of the High Priest is
to be as ornate, detailed, and spectacular as possible. It is to be made of the finest materials and
created by the finest of craftsmen available.
And what is the message of these fine garments? Judaism matters; Jewish
values and wisdom matter; Our connection to God matters.
The
principle is called hiddur mitzvah – adding beauty to the way we celebrate our
Judaism and live our lives. In our
clothing, in Judaism, and in all that we do, add your finest work and do your
very best. In bringing our best and
doing our best we send the message that Judaism and life itself matters. Live life to the fullest! L’chayim!
To enjoy past entries of the Rabbi's Corner, please visit our website.
YOUTH EDUCATION
Hope you all have a fun and relaxing break. We'll see you back at school on April 9.
Family Passover Program and Special Schedule, April 9
When
we return from Spring Break on April
9, we will have a Family Passover Program as part of Sunday School that
morning.
- The day will begin with Hebrew for students from 9:15-10:00am, during which time Rabbi Eitan and Sean Fisher-Rohde will lead a "Seder Swap" program for parents (and non-parents too). The "Seder Swap" will be an opportunity to share best practices from our own Passover seder experiences and learn about ways to personalize the seder that we may not have tried before.
- At 10:00, parents will be reunited with their children and have the opportunity to explore a variety of Passover themed programming at different stations.
- At 11:30 we will bring our program to a close. Parents and students will be released to go get ready for Pesach (or do whatever it is you plan to do that afternoon).
This
is a day of Sunday School, so all students are expected to attend and parents
are strongly encouraged to participate with them. Please contact Rabbi Seeg at
learning@shir-hadash.org if you have any questions.
ADULT EDUCATION
Our Sunday morning Torah & Philosophy group will be meeting offsite while Religious School is on break. Contact Fred for the location and details (fandes@btlaw.com).
Sunday Morning Hebrew Classes on break
Our Adult Hebrew Reading and Modern Hebrew classes are on Spring Break March 26 and April 2, but look forward to seeing you at our great Sunday morning classes.. Our regular Sunday schedule is:
- Torah and Philosophy, 9:30-10:30am
- Learning the Shir Hadash Prayer Book, 10:30-11:30am
- Modern Hebrew, 11:30am-12:30pm
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.
COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
Are you receiving the latest news from the Reconstructionist Movement? Interested in finding some resources for you and your family, and perhaps a few nuggest of wisdom? If so, click here to subscribe to the Reconstructionist movement's monthly email newsletter!
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 Spring Break!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.
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