WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
New Board Members Installed
Volunteers Recognized with Community Builder Awards
Shir Hadash App Available Now
Book Club Recap
Office Closed for Memorial Day, May 29
Volunteers Recognized with Community Builder Awards
Shir Hadash App Available Now
Book Club Recap
Office Closed for Memorial Day, May 29
Creative Worship and Ritual
No Shabbat Services This Week
Shavu'ot Service and Teach-In (with Blintzes!), Tuesday, May 30
Community Drums a Send-off for Rabbi Seeg
Family and Community Shabbat Services, June 2
Oneg Volunteers Needed -- Sign Up Today
Shavu'ot Service and Teach-In (with Blintzes!), Tuesday, May 30
Community Drums a Send-off for Rabbi Seeg
Family and Community Shabbat Services, June 2
Oneg Volunteers Needed -- Sign Up Today
The Rabbi’s Corner
“The Wilderness"
Youth Education Announcements“The Wilderness"
End of Year Celebration, and a Fond Farewell
A Letter from Rabbi Seeg
Thursday Lunch 'n Learn
A Letter from Rabbi Seeg
Thursday Lunch 'n Learn
Tikkun Olam Opportunity, July 30 - August 3
Sock Drive for the Homeless
Subscribe to Reconstructionism Today Newsletter
Ongoing Fundraisers
Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
Sock Drive for the Homeless
Subscribe to Reconstructionism Today Newsletter
Ongoing Fundraisers
Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
At the Annual Meeting on May 21, all the nominees for Board positions were elected by the membership. Welcome and congratulations to:
President: Marc Fargotstein
Executive Vice President: Stuart Aizenberg
Vice President (Programming): Melanie Andes
At-Large Board Member (Two Year Term): Alan Bernover
At-Large Board Member (Two Year Term): Fred Andes
At-Large Board Member (Two Year Term): Glenn A. Graff
At-Large Board Member (Two Year Term): Lisa Settler
At-Large Board Member (One Year Term): Cindy Grills
Julie Wellisch Recognized with Maury Andes Award
Shir Hadash congratulates Julie Sharpe Wellisch for being awarded the Maury Andes Award at the Annual Meeting. The award is presented annually to the volunteer who best exemplifies Maury’s characteristics: Hard work, dedication to the community, humility, kindness and compassion.
Julie has been an active member of Shir Hadash for 15 years. She chairs our Women in Shir Hadash ("WISH") group, participates in the School Advisory Committee and joined the Board of Directors. Shir Hadash has been lucky to have Julie all these years and even luckier that she recently accepted a position to become our Office Administrator. Congratulations, and thank you Julie!
Volunteers Recognized with Community Builders Award
Also at the Annual Meeting, Shir Hadash presented the Kehillah
Community Builders award to volunteers who, in the past year, have gone above
and beyond the call of duty. Congratulations and thanks to Cindy Grills,
Michelle Fisher-Rohde, Brad Steinback, Ralph Nach, Marilynn Singer, Carolyn
Gessner, David Levit, Scarlett Andes, Lynne Jacobson Arons, Mark Lenhart, Jeri
Ettleson, Katie Pierce, Jennifer Bernover, and Dan Wellisch.
Shir Hadash App Now Available
We are excited to announce the Shir Hadash App is live and ready
to be downloaded! Simply go to the Apple App store and/or Google Play
Store, search for "Shir Hadash," download it, and voila! Some of
the things you can do with the app are:
* Access your synagogue account
* RSVP for upcoming events
* Make Donations easily from your account
* Access to the synagogue membership directory and call from
within the app
* Make payments and more!
* View our calendar and add events to your personal calendar
Click here for the
iOS version and here for the
Android version.
Book Club Recap
Nine of us met at the Northbrook Sunset Foods on May 16 to discuss Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt (Jewish Lives) by Robert Gottleib. We all agreed that Sarah Bernhardt was not only a great and unique French Jewish actress but a phenomenal patriot and mother. She was true to herself and quite different -- having a personal zoo and sleeping in a coffin. Also, she continued to act for many years after a leg amputation! The book left us with many questions about her.
The next book will be a mystery with a Jewish theme. The title, date, and location will be announced shortly.
Office Closed for Memorial Day, May 29
Please note that Shir Hadash will be closed next Monday in observance of Memorial Day.
Book Club Recap
Nine of us met at the Northbrook Sunset Foods on May 16 to discuss Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt (Jewish Lives) by Robert Gottleib. We all agreed that Sarah Bernhardt was not only a great and unique French Jewish actress but a phenomenal patriot and mother. She was true to herself and quite different -- having a personal zoo and sleeping in a coffin. Also, she continued to act for many years after a leg amputation! The book left us with many questions about her.
The next book will be a mystery with a Jewish theme. The title, date, and location will be announced shortly.
Office Closed for Memorial Day, May 29
Please note that Shir Hadash will be closed next Monday in observance of Memorial Day.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
No Shabbat Services this Week
We hope you enjoy celebrating Shabbat with your family.
Shavuot Service & Teach-In (with Blintzes!) Tuesday,
May 30
Come join us for a very special Shavuot program next Tuesday! We
will start at 7:30, with a brief holiday service. Then we will have
three discussion sessions – because Shavuot (which celebrates the giving of the
Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai) is all about learning. And, of
course, about food, especially dairy – so we will have a blintz bar, with your
choice of toppings! Coffee too – an assortment of coffees that you can
choose from to use in one of our Shir Hadash Keurig machines.
What will we be
studying while eating? Well, first, the Rabbi will do a presentation
about our history – what do we know about the routes that the Jewish people may
have followed as they exited Egypt and headed toward Sinai? He’ll present
the latest archaeological thoughts on that issue. Then, Lynn Liebling
will teach us about the increasingly popular Jewish ethical practices from the
Mussar movement, which help us to become better people. Finally, we’ll
have a group discussion about what we received at Sinai: The Ten
Commandments! Do you remember them all? Which ones do you think are
most important? Are there ones that you might want to replace with some
new ones? And don’t worry, we’ll have you home before it’s late. Come and
be part of the discussion!
Next Week: Family and Community Shabbat Services, June 2, 5:30 and 7:30
Plan to join us for one or both of our Shabbat services next Friday! Our family Shabbat observance kicks off with a pasta dinner at 5:30pm followed by a kid-friendly service, activities, and treats. Our regular Community Service will begin at 7:30. More details to come in next week's newsletter.
Oneg Volunteers Needed for May and June Services
Please sign up to help as an oneg volunteer for one of our upcoming services. It's easy: just click here to pick a date, bring a challah, and show up! You'll receive a reminder email the week before with more details. For more information, contact Sean Fisher-Rohde at oneg@shir-hadash.org.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
May 26-27,
2017 / 2 Sivan 5777
Shabbat
Bamidbar
Torah:
Numbers 1:1 - 4:20 / Haftarah: Hosea 2:1 - 2:22
“The
Wilderness”
Dear
Friends,
Why was the
Torah given in the desert? What is it
about wilderness that is so fundamental to Israel’s development as a people?
This week’s
Torah portion is the first chapter of the Book of Numbers, which in Hebrew
(BaMidbar) means “In the Wilderness.” The desert wanderings form the core of
this book’s narrative. At the end of the
book, the Children of Israel will be on the shores of the Jordan River, ready
to enter the Promised Land.
Many commentators
have pondered the awesome connection to wilderness. The philosopher Philo,
explained that the Torah was given in the desert because cities are filled with
evils of all kinds – corruption, luxury, idolatry and more. For one to be ready
to receive the Torah, one must separate from the wickedness of the city. In Pesikta de Rav Kahana, it is argued that
the Torah was given in the wilderness to teach us that just as the desert is
open, so too must we be open to all of the Torah’s teachings.
Whatever the
reason, we understand that only in the wilderness, forest, glade, or
mountaintop, can we truly tune out the distractions of the world and focus on
what really counts in life – health, family, community, productive work, and
good values for a start. There we can center ourselves and finally think
clearly about where we are in life and where we are going from here.
On Tuesday
evening, May 30, come join our Shavu’ot study evening celebrating the giving of
the Torah on Mount Sinai. This spring and
summer, take some time to go hiking.
Find a quiet spot in nature and listen…
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
YOUTH EDUCATION
During the end-of-school assembly, we said goodbye to Rabbi Seeg on his final day leading our school. We thanked him for the many ways he has
strengthened our religious school and for bringing so much energy, creativity,
and humor. Students, madrichim,
teachers, and others wrote notes and drew pictures to thank Rabbi Seeg, talk
about things he has done that have stood out for them, and wish him well in
Colorado. They were presented to him as
a memory book. Given his memorable
shofar playing to signal the start and end of each period or any other time the
students should be moving, the School Advisory Committee (SAC) and the teachers
gave Rabbi Seeg a shofar-themed basket. It was filled with a notepad that said "Keep Calm and Blow a
Shofar" as well as a set of magnet, trivet, and coasters that had a
photographic image of a shofar laying on an open prayer book. Thank you, Rabbi Seeg, for your leadership at Shir Hadash's Sunday School, and best wishes in Colorado.
A Letter from Rabbi Seeg
A Letter from Rabbi Seeg
This past Sunday we came together for our final day of Sunday
School for the 2016-17 school year; we had a great time celebrating the year we
have had together. During tefilah (services) we had the
opportunity to hear from the students of Lynne Aron’s Reconstructionist Judaism
class how they have “reconstructed” a few of the prayers to better reflect
there own ideas and experiences. We also
got to see a dance interpretation of the V’ahavta from Rebecca Rice’s dance
class. It was amazing to see the thoughtfulness
and wisdom of our students expressed in this way.
I have been blessed to work with a phenomenal community of
teachers during my tenure. The level of
creativity, kindness, and wisdom among our teachers is spectacular and
rare. Our students are extremely
fortunate to have such wonderful educators.
In saying good-bye to the school year we also had to say good-bye
(or better perhaps “see you later”) to Lizzy and Spencer Soglin, our two
graduating Madrichim. Lizzy and Spencer
have been an invaluable part of the school community first as students and
then, for the past 5 years, as madrichim.
We wish them much joy and success as they move on to the next phases of
their lives at the University of Illinois (Spencer) and Western Michigan
University (Lizzy). They will be missed
at Shir Hadash but it is exciting to imagine what kinds of great things are in
their futures.
I also had the opportunity to say l’hitraot (see you later) to the
students and parents who have been such a huge part of my experience at Shir
Hadash. I was honored and humbled to
receive a binder full of notes that the students, madrichim, and others had
written for me wishing me luck and success as I make may way to Colorado. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have
had to teach, learn, pray, and play with our students, parents, and the entire
Shir Hadash community. I look forward to
staying in touch and seeing the students continue to grow and learn.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in the school over the
past two years. I would especially like to thank Lisa Burton Radzely and the
members of the School Advisory Committee (SAC) who have been a tremendous
source of support, ideas, encouragement, and a lot of laughs.
While I am extremely excited for the next phase of my family’s journey
I will miss being able to spend my Sundays with such a fun, engaging group of
students, teachers, and parents. I am
ever appreciative of the opportunities that I have had and look forward to
staying in touch as we move forward.
--Rabbi Seeg
ADULT EDUCATION
Thursday Lunch 'n' Learn
Join Rabbi Eitan 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
Tikkun Olam Opportunity, July 30 - August 3
Interfaith Council presents the Fourth Annual Mission trip for families to help rebuild the lives of those who have suffered extreme loss in the St. Louis area, rebuilding homes destroyed by flooding in 2015. Skilled and unskilled help is needed. 31 people have already signed up! Please consider joining with our interfaith community on this special trip. Click here for more information. 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
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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. For more information, email Michelle at SHOP@shir-hadash.org.
Thank you to the following families for supporting Shir Hadash with your SHOP purchases this week!
Idelman
Weiss
Soglin
Zweiban
Fisher-Rohde
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