WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- MOSH Game Night, April 15
- Synagogue Office Closed April 17
- Coffee House Night, April 22
- Chili Cook-Off, April 29
- Synagogue Open House for Prospective Members, April 30
- Annual Meeting and Elections, May 21
- Book Club, May 16
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, April 14, 7:30pm
- Shabbat Morning B'not Mitzvah Service, Saturday, April 15, 9:30am
- Community End of Passover/Yizkor Service at Beth Am, Monday, April 17, 10:00am
The Rabbi’s Corner
Youth Education Announcements- "Sometimes, It Takes a Push"
- Religious School, April 16
- School Advisory Committee (SAC) Meeting, April 16
- Sunday Morning Adult Classes
- Thursday Lunch 'n Learn
- New! Monday Evening Adult Ed Series: "Revenge" April 24
- Sunday Speaker Series: "Is It Good for the Jews?" April 30
Social Action
Community Events
- Sock Drive for the Homeless
- Subscribe to Reconstructionism Today Newsletter
- Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
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 (over 18) on Saturday, April 15, starting at 7:30pm. Men and women invited -- learn a new game and make some new friends! To RSVP, click here.
Synagogue Office Closed April 17
Please note that Shir Hadash's office will not be open next Monday.
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 have a really great show shaping up -- you don't want to miss this one! 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 so we 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, front of house, etc) let us know that too. See you all 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! It is the biggest (...and the only) Kosher food event in all of Wheeling, Illinois! The Great Shir Hadash Chili Cook-Off will be April 29, beginning at 6:30pm. To register or learn more, visit our website by clicking here.
School and Synagogue Open House for Prospective Members, April 30
Do you know families who would like to make a change or are ready to start religious education for their children? Would they love our amazing one-day-a-week school? Encourage them to come to our Open House on Sunday, April 30 from 10:00am to noon! Families will meet with our Rabbi, Education Committee Members, and Director of Education. Click here for more information to pass on to your friends.
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.
Book Club, May 16
The next Book Club selection will be Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt by Robert Gottlieb. This is the biography of a famous – and infamous – Parisian actress who was Jewish. Art Deco posters of the actress by Alphonse Mucha are currently on display at the Driehaus Museum at 40 East Erie Street in Chicago. The Book Club will meet on May 16 at the home of Melanie Andes, 945 Creek Bend Drive in Vernon Hills.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, April 14, 7:30pm
Shabbat Chol HaMo’ed Pesach (fifth day)
Join us for our Second Friday Series of “SHED Talks” – Shir Hadashn’s version of TED Talks. We begin with a brief Kabbalah Shabbat to welcome the Shabbat with song and story. Then, Shir Hadash members offer personal reflections on life, living, and Judaism. Oneg refreshments to follow. This week, hear from the following presenters:
Shabbat Morning B'not Mitzvah Service, Saturday, April 15, 9:30am
We welcome Carly and Rachel Rainey to the bima.
Community End of Passover/Yizkor Service at Beth Am, Monday, April 17, 10:00am
Shabbat Chol HaMo’ed Pesach (fifth day)
Join us for our Second Friday Series of “SHED Talks” – Shir Hadashn’s version of TED Talks. We begin with a brief Kabbalah Shabbat to welcome the Shabbat with song and story. Then, Shir Hadash members offer personal reflections on life, living, and Judaism. Oneg refreshments to follow. This week, hear from the following presenters:
- Michael Durlacher – “Participating in the Maccabi Games: A Life-Changing Experience”
- Phil Torf – “The Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God: How Judaism’s Cloak Surprisingly Surrounded Me in Law and Pharmaceutical Sciences”
Shabbat Morning B'not Mitzvah Service, Saturday, April 15, 9:30am
We welcome Carly and Rachel Rainey to the bima.
Community End of Passover/Yizkor Service at Beth Am, Monday, April 17, 10:00am
As our observance of Pesach comes to a close, we will join
in a Community Yizkor Memorial Service with Congregation Beth Am. We will meet
from 10:00 to 11:00am at Beth Am, 1370 Abbott Court in Buffalo Grove.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
April 14-15,
2017 / 19 Nisan 5777 / Day 4 of the Omer
Shabbat Chol
HaMo’ed Pesach
Torah –
Exodus 33:12-34:26 / Haftarah – Ezekiel 37:1-14
“Sometimes
It Takes a Push...”
Dear
Friends,
At this
year’s Passover seders, I was especially drawn to the explanation of why we eat
matzah. The Reconstructionist Haggadah
puts it this way:
Matzah: Why
do we eat it? In order to remind
ourselves that even before the dough of our ancestors could become leavened
bread, the Holy One was revealed to the people and redeemed them, as it is
written: “And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had taken out
of Egypt, for is was not leavened, since they had been driven out of Egypt and
they could not delay; nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.”
Exodus 12:39
It was the
part about being ‘driven out of Egypt’ that drew my attention. I always thought that after the tenth plague,
the slaying of the first born, Pharaoh finally agreed to free the Hebrews and
they walked happily out of Egypt. Not
the case. A careful reading of the
Exodus account shows that following the tenth plague, the Hebrews were at
home. Maybe they were waiting for
everything to blow over so that they could resume their ‘normal’ slave
lives. However, the Egyptians were so
upset and frightened that they threw the Hebrews out. They actually made our ancestors leave.
There are
times in our lives when we know that we must make a change. Things can’t continue as they are. And when the door opens and the path to a new
beginning is before us, even though we might hesitate, the answer is
clear. We must make a change. Sometimes we need a little nudge to help us
seek our dreams. When that shove comes,
get ready and get going. Sometimes it
takes a push...
Have a
healthy and happy Passover.
Shabbat Shalom,
To enjoy past entries of the Rabbi's Corner, please visit our website.
YOUTH EDUCATION
We look forward to seeing our students at 9:15am.
School Advisory Committee (SAC) Meeting, April 16
All school parents are encouraged to attend the next School Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting to discuss how the school year has been going and what we can do to help the school. We will meet April 16, 10:30-12:30, in the annex's conference room.ADULT EDUCATION
Everyone is invited to participate in our adult education classes. Our regular Sunday schedule is:
Monday Night Adult Education Series, April 24
Sunday Speaker Series: Cheryl Banks, "Is It Good for the Jews?" April 30
- 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.
Monday Night Adult Education Series, April 24
Our Monday Night Adult Education series examines Judaism's understanding of complex and challenging ethics issues. On April 24 from 6:30 to 8:30pm,
we look at the issue of revenge. “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”: Is this well-known biblical dictum a call for
revenge that still resonates today? Are there circumstances in which revenge is
not only acceptable but obligatory? This class will look at what Judaism says
about how to respond when we’ve been wronged.
Join us for a nuanced perspective on the background and context of current events, with a focus on Israel. We will review the most topical headlines surrounding Israel, anti-Semitism, and US politics and try to figure out: “Is it good for the Jews?"
Cheryl Banks, M.A. is a historian and frequent lecturer who speaks throughout the Chicago area and nationally. Her expertise includes the history of Islam and Jewish-Islamic relations, and she has taught adult classes on comparative religions, Middle Eastern history, the evolution of the Sunni/Shia split, the history of ISIS, Zionism and the history of Israel, Jewish education and the recent election vis a vis the Jews.
Our discussion begins at 11:00am. Bagels and coffee will be served. No RSVP necessary.
SOCIAL ACTION
The Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council is sponsoring its first "Knock Your Sock Off" sock drive to help the homeless in our communities. Donate new socks for men, women, and children in the collection box in the Shir Hadash lobby. Thank you for your generosity!
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
Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
Shir Hadash is installing a Memorial Wall in the sanctuary, with individual plaques recording the Hebrew and English name of the deceased and the date of birth and passing. 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.You may register for the plaque(s) through our web site, or request a paper order form by calling the office (847 498 8218),
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!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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