WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
Membership Renewal Forms Now Available on Shul Cloud
Gift of Membership Promotion, Now Through August 17
Gift of Membership Promotion, Now Through August 17
Building Closed on Thursdays During the Summer
Lahaka is Looking for Singers and Instrumentalists
Sunday in the Park with Bagels, July 9
An Evening of Dining and Schmoozing, July 16
Shir Hadash App Available Now
New Book Club Selection
Creative Worship and Ritual
No Shabbat Evening Service on July 7
Pizza and Havdalah Family Event, July 15, 5:00pm
Shabbat Morning Service and Blessing of Animals & Pets, July 22, 10:00am
Shabbat Under the Stars, August 4, 7:30pm
Intergenerational Pancake Breakfast and Family Service, August 5, 10:00am
Oneg Volunteers Needed -- Sign Up Today
The Rabbi’s Corner
“Always Growing”
Education News
School Registration Now Open
Lunch ‘n Learn Returns in September
Social Action/NW Suburban Interfaith Council
Tikkun Olam Opportunity, July 30 - August 3
Community
Subscribe to Reconstructionism Today Newsletter
Ongoing Fundraisers
Don’t Forget Our Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers!
Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
SHOP Shir Hadash
MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS
Membership Renewal Forms Now Open
It's time to renew your membership in Shir Hadash for the coming year. In an effort to streamline the process and reduce the use of paper, all our forms are now available on Shul Cloud. Click here for detailed information. (If you prefer to use paper forms for your registration, please contact our office at 847 498 8218.) Please complete your renewal by July 31. If you need assistance, contact Julie Wellisch at admin@shir-hadash.org, or our Executive Director Geoff Prass at geoff@shir-hadash.org.
Gift of Membership Program Runs Through August 17
All members that renew and make payment arrangements by August 17 get a certificate to give to a friend or family member who has never been a member of Shir Hadash. The certificate will get them a free one-year membership providing it is redeemed by August 31. (Please note, the certificate will not cover school fees.) Questions? Contact Lisa Settler at settlerl@comcast.net or Stuart Aizenberg at stuartaizenberg@gmail.com
Building Closed on Thursdays During the Summer
This summer our building will be closed on Thursdays in an effort to save energy. Calls will be forwarded to Geoff, as he will be working remotely during the day.
Lahaka is Looking for Singers/Instrumentalists
If you were at our High Holiday Services (HHS) last year you experienced 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 rehearsals starting in July. What do you have to lose?
Sunday in the Park with Bagels Sunday, July 9
Sunday in the Park with Bagels is a free, family-friendly “tour of the Jewish calendar” through food and activities. The program runs from 10:00 to 11:30am and is open to all families with young children. The location is Peterson Park, by Hawthorne Mall and off Milwaukee Avenue in Vernon Hills.
An Evening of Dining and Schmoozing Sunday, July 16
Mehran Farahmandpour is hosting a social evening for adults at his home in Long Grove. There will be dinner, fun, and the most important ingredient of all, schmoozing. Registration will be $18/person. Watch for details and RSVP forms in upcoming newsletters or on the website.
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! Click here for the iOS version and here for the Android version.
New Book Club Selection
The upcoming Book Club discussion will be on Daniel Silva's The English Assassin. This book is the first in a spy mystery trilogy about the Nazis. The story involves an Israeli spy, Nazi art heists, and of course a murder. Our next meeting will be in July or August. We're looking for a host to sponsor at this time. For this and questions, please contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
No Shabbat Evening Service on July 7
We hope you enjoy celebrating Shabbat with your family.
Pizza Havdalah Family Night Saturday, July 15, 5:00pm
All ages welcome! First a pizza feast, followed by a havdalah service and fun. Weather permitting, we’ll be outdoors.
Kabbalah Shabbat with Congressman Brad Schneider Friday, July 21, 7:30pm
Join us for a brief Kabbalat Shabbat service featuring our Lahaka adult choir. Then we will hear from Congressman Brad Schneider.
Shabbat Morning Service and Blessing of Animals & Pets Saturday, July 22, 10:00am
Join us in celebrating our love and care of our pets on the Shabbat when we read in the Torah about Noah and the Ark. Our out-of- doors one-hour Shabbat morning service will include a ceremony to bless our beloved animal pets. Make sure your pets are properly leashed, caged, etc. The service begins at 10:00am, rain or shine!
Tisha B’Av Commemoration: From Sadness to Joy Monday, July 31, 7:30pm
Join us for an evening of story, song, reading, and reflection on the eve of Tisha B’Av, as we recall the many destructions, calamities, setbacks and misfortunes that have shaped so much of Jewish history.
Shabbat Under the Stars Friday, August 4, 7:30pm
Grab your family and friends and usher in Shabbat Under the Stars. This outdoor evening is open to the community at no cost. Seats will be available for services. Following services, we'll roast marshmallows and make s'mores during the oneg. In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors.
Intergenerational Pancake Breakfast & Shabbat Family Service Saturday, August 5, 10:00am
Calling all grandparents, parents, and children! Come at 10:00 for a light pancake breakfast. Then, Rabbi Eitan will lead a lively service that includes the Shabbat prayers along with story, song, and dance. It’s an interactive Shabbat experience not to be missed! Following the service, we will join for refreshments and a shabbat activity. Bring treats to share at the kiddush refreshments
Oneg Volunteers Needed for 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
14 Tammuz 5777
Shabbat Balak
Torah Portion: Numbers 22:2-25:9 / Haftarah Portion: Micah 5:6-6:8
“Always Growing”
Dear Friends,
Can we change? Can we grow? In this week’s Torah portion Balak, King of Moab, orders his sorcerer Bil’am to curse the Children of Israel as they pass through his kingdom on the way to the Promised Land of Israel. Numerous times, Bil’am tries to do the king’s bidding, but is stopped each time by angels of God and even a talking donkey! Eventually, Bil’am does reach a high place to render a curse. He looks down upon the Children of Israel and sees a wonderful people, not at all like anything he expected. The camp is well ordered and the Israelites are going about life with a sense of joy and celebration. Bil’am is transformed and becomes a true prophet of God. The words that come from his mouth are not curses, but blessings which begin with the words – “How beautiful are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places O’ Israel….”
So it is with us. We often come to a new situation with preconceived notions that are not the full picture, or at times, completely wrong. Our tradition teaches us to keep an open mind and be ready to consider new information as we go about life.
Judaism firmly believes that we can change. Indeed, life is all about growing.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
EDUCATION NEWS
Get Ready for a Great New School Year! School Registration Now Open
Shir Hadash Religious School registration forms are now open. Click here to access the forms on Shul Cloud. The Shir Hadash Religious School is reigniting our tradition of being a creative laboratory of progressive Jewish education. Our new Education Director Geoff Prass has put together some interesting, innovative, and fun Jewish educational opportunities for our students. Want to learn more about the Religious School programs, or are ready to register? Contact Geoff at 847-498-8218 or Geoff@shir-hadash.org.
Lunch & Learn on Summer Hiatus
Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi will return the first week of September.
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. Many people have already signed up! Please consider joining with our interfaith community on this special trip. Click here for more information.
COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
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Are you receiving the latest news from the Reconstructionist Movement? Interested in finding some resources for you and your family, and perhaps a few nuggets of wisdom? If so, click here to subscribe to the Reconstructionist movement's monthly email newsletter!
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Don’t Forget Our Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers!
The Continental Restaurant in Buffalo Grove or Butterfield’s Restaurant in Northbrook will donate 5% of your total bill to Shir Hadash! No flyer needed – just mention Shir Hadash when you are paying or fill out the Shir Hadash book behind the desk.
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.The cost for a plaque is $360. Many congregants prepay and reserve plaques.You may register for the plaque(s) through our website, 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 Summer!
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 for supporting Shir Hadash with your SHOP purchases!
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
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