WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Purim Comedy Night for Adults, February 24
- Purim Carnival, February 25
- Volunteers and Supplies Needed for Purim
- Mac-n-Cheese Grogger Drive for Food Pantry, Through February 25
- Please Respond! Capital Improvement Survey
- Book Club, March 15
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Update: Shabbat Evening Service, Friday February 9, 7:30pm
- Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday February 10, 9:30am
- Oneg Volunteers Needed -- Sign Up Today
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “The Small Print”
School News
- Religious School, February 11
- Bagel Bar Help Needed
Youth Activities
- Save The Date! Shir Hadash Youth Outing to Rockin’ Jump, March 18
Adult Education
- Torah and Jewish Philosophy Class, February 11
- Living Judaism Sunday Class, February 11
- Brunch and Learn at The Continental Restaurant, February 8
Social Action
- Soup Kitchen, February 18
Israel Awareness
- Update: Shabbat Speaker Rescheduled for March 9
- Did You Know? Fun Facts About Israel
Community News and Events
- JUF Northwest Suburban Reception on April 22 - Save the Date or Join the Committee!
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Simcha Tree Leaves
- 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
Adult Purim Comedy Evening, February 24
“Mordecai’s Mountain Resort Presents: A SATURDAY NIGHT SPECTACULAR”
You will be delighted with an evening of
Rousing Entertainment
Hilarious Comedy
Marvelous Music
And much much more!
Leave the Kids at the Cottage
Meet us in the Main Lodge
Saturday, February 24 at Shir Hadash - 7:00 pm
Purim Carnival, February 25
Come one, come all to see what’s new and exciting at our annual Purim Carnival! Enjoy food, photo booths, face painting, balloon sculptures, unlimited games, a silent auction, and fun for the whole family from 11:30 to 1:30. Buy your Purim Carnival wristband in advance and save! Enjoy unlimited games with a Purim Carnival wristband, and save if you buy in advance! You can purchase at the SHOP table or Gift Shop on Sunday mornings, or you can buy online by clicking here. $10 for unlimited game play* with advanced purchase, $12 and longer line if you buy on the day of the carnival. You also can purchase lunch in advance and skip the lines at the carnival. Just $5 for pizza, chips, and a drink.
*Numerous fun games are included with the wristband; activities, food, and drink are extra due to the cost of supplies. Spin art and photo booth are $1, and balloon sculptures are $2. Lunch is $5. Hamantashen, popcorn, and drinks also will be sold.
Volunteers Needed for the Purim Carnival
Let’s make this the best Purim Carnival ever for our kids! There are lots of different ways you can help. Teens, this counts as community service hours since you’re helping a school fundraiser!
- Setting up on Saturday, Feb 24 starting at 4:00pm. If you can’t make it then, come by Sunday at 9:00am to finish set-up
- Running games at the carnival from 11:30-1:30, or stick around after the carnival at 1:30 for clean up.
- Getting silent auction donations from local businesses. Just ask anywhere you shop. Or you may donate a service or item from your business, work or yourself.
- Donating carnival supplies -- in particular, we need
- Small toys (for the Claw Grab game)
- Two tarps (for Spin Art and Facepainting areas)
- Ten blue tablecloths
- One pair nylons
- One pack of clothespins
- 12 empty water bottles
Ready to help? Click here for the volunteer Sign-up Genius, or contact Cindy Grills at homes@cindygrills.com or (847) 409-3707 to get involved! Donations may be left in the SH office during the week or given to Cindy on Sunday mornings.
Mac-n-Cheese Grogger Drive for Food Pantry, Through February 25
While celebrating Purim and making as much noise as possible when a certain name is mentioned, let's also combat hunger. Running through the Purim Carnival on February 25, we will collect mac & cheese boxes that we can use as groggers (the traditional Purim noise maker) and then donate to the food pantry. Place donations in the box in the lobby with the mac & cheese sign.
Please Respond! Capital Improvement Survey
By now you should have received an email regarding our Capital Improvement Survey. Please fill it out so that we can have your input as to what projects you would like to see done to help make our building a home.
Book Club, March 15
The next book for Book Club will be The Two Family House by Linda Cohen Loigman. This book is a multigenerational tale taking place in Brooklyn involving gender expectations and secrets. The Book Club meeting will be March 15, 7:30pm, at the home of Cheryl Schultz, 1381 Sunnyside Avenue in Highland Park. Contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com for more information.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Update: Shabbat Evening Service, Friday February 9, 7:30pm
Due to the winter storm, our Second Friday Shabbat Speaker
scheduled for this evening, the Excutive Director for the Jewish National Fund
in Chicago, Marlene Dodinval, has been postponed to Friday, March 9. While the
speaker is postponed, Rabbi Weiner-Kaplow will still lead a kabbalat shabbat
service including Kaddish at 7:30 pm.
Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday February 10, 9:30am
We welcome Rose Sheridan to the bima as Bat Mitzvah.
Oneg Volunteers Needed for Services
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
February 9-10, 2018 / 25 Shevat 5778
Shabbat Mishpatim/Shekalim
Torah: Exodus 21:1 - 24:18
Maftir: Exodus 30:11 - 30:16 | Shabbat Shekalim
Haftarah: II Kings 12:1 - 12:17 | Shabbat Shekalim
Dear Friends,
I love the commercials on TV that offer an item in simple terms, then flash a block of fine print as the video fades. Often, it is in the little details that we best understand the deal and what it truly means to us. Likewise, in last week’s Torah portion the Ten Commandments were revealed. Simple enough. This week, we get many, little rules, laws, and mitzvot that fully flesh out the broader meaning of the Commandments. There are laws about the treatment of slaves, crimes, injury, damages, lying, idol worship, and deceptive business behavior. There are laws about how judges should behave when hearing a case. There are laws about the observance of Shabbat and the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavu’ot, and Sukkot. Laws, laws – lots of fine print.
Throughout the ages, the rabbis searched for the deeper meaning of the Ten Commandments. One sage said that the commandments were designed to discipline the Children of Israel. Another teacher said that they were meant to purify. Another suggests that the laws are all about making us more righteous. The Medieval commentator Avraham ibn Ezra said that the commandments make the human heart upright. Maimonides said that the mitzvot promote compassion, loving-kindness, and peace in the world.
For me, performing mitzvot and observing Jewish tradition forms a path of constant improvement. They sharpen one’s sense of kindness and consideration. They are a path to salvation – living a life of meaning and purpose. In short, our world of Jewish tradition, commandment, and mitzvot forms a route towards becoming a mentsch – a person of leadership, goodness, honor, dignity, responsibility, and love.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
To enjoy past entries of the Rabbi's Corner, please visit our website.
SCHOOL NEWS
Religious School, February 11
We’re looking forward to seeing our students ready to go at 9:15 this Sunday.
Kallah Is Coming... February 16 - 18
Kallah is the annual Reconstructionist youth retreat for 6th-12th graders. It will take place over Presidents Day weekend at OSRUI (Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute) in Wisconsin. We will leave by bus on Friday, February 16 in the late afternoon (around 4:00 pm) and return on Sunday, February 18 in the early afternoon (around 1:00 pm). It is an amazing opportunity for our youth to come together with peers from the region to participate in a weekend of fun and community building. All programs are created and led by the students. Please be in touch with Geoff if have any questions. To register, click here.
Kallah is the annual Reconstructionist youth retreat for 6th-12th graders. It will take place over Presidents Day weekend at OSRUI (Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute) in Wisconsin. We will leave by bus on Friday, February 16 in the late afternoon (around 4:00 pm) and return on Sunday, February 18 in the early afternoon (around 1:00 pm). It is an amazing opportunity for our youth to come together with peers from the region to participate in a weekend of fun and community building. All programs are created and led by the students. Please be in touch with Geoff if have any questions. To register, click here.
Sunday Morning Bagel Bar Help Needed
We all enjoy the delicious bagels at Sunday school, graciously donated by Tammy Pomper. Now we need some volunteers to pitch in with set-up and clean-up. Helpers would need to arrive around 8:15am to make coffee and set out bagels. If we get lots of helpers, it won't be much of a time commitment for anyone. Please contact Glenn Graff, nflsunday1966@gmail.com, or Tammy Pomper, tammy.g.pomper@gmail.com, to learn more.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
Save The Date! Shir Hadash Youth Outing to Rockin’ Jump, March 18
The next Youth Group event will be an afternoon at Rockin’ Jump trampoline park on March 18. Watch for more details coming soon.
ADULT EDUCATION
Torah and Jewish Philosophy Class, February 11
- Instructor: Fred Andes
Dig deep into the weekly Torah portion and take a look at modern Jewish philosophy.
Living Judaism: Introduction to Jewish Spirituality & Civilization
Sundays, 11:15 am to 12:25 pm on Feb 11; March 11 and 18; April 15, 22, and 29, 2018.
- Instructor: Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
A survey of essential and fundamental concepts of Judaism - its roots, history, sacred texts, holidays, and life cycle celebration. This class offers a great opportunity to learn what Judaism offers us to live, learn, celebrate and relate to life’s challenges in a Jewish way, today! This class is for everyone – from those with no Jewish background to those with a strong Jewish background, and all in between.
Brunch and Learn at The Continental, February 8
Join Rabbi Eitan and Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion. We will meet this week on Thursday, February 8 at 10:00am at The Continental Restaurant, 788 S. Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove – next to Garden Fresh on the corner of Dundee and Buffalo Grove Road.
SOCIAL ACTION
Soup Kitchen, February 18
On Sunday, February 18, Shir Hadash will be serving over 90 meals at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church interfaith soup kitchen in Evanston. We need six to eight families (20-25 people total) who are able to prepare, cook and serve food from 2:00 to 4:00pm.Each family will be responsible for bringing a precooked meat or pasta entrée (non-vegetarian, in a disposable dish), a large bag of frozen mixed vegetables, a bag of fresh fruit, and a dessert to feed approximately 15 people. Feel free to partner with another family to fill these needs.This is a great family event because there is no age limit to volunteer, but from past experience, kids should be at least six years old to participate.
If you are interested in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart, mjlenhart@comcast.net.
ISRAEL AWARENESS
Update: Shabbat Guest Speaker Moved to March 9
As noted above, the winter storm has forced us to postpone Marlene Dodinval's presentation at services to March 9. Please mark your calendars and join us to learn about the important work being done by Jewish National Fund to build a prosperous and sustainable country for all of Israel's citizens.
Did You Know? Fun Facts about Israel
- Israel’s wine industry, revived after a gap of 2,000 years, was founded by the Baron Rothschild family. The company he founded, Carmel, is Israel’s largest winery, accounting for 40 percent of its wine market. When Baron Rothschild started the industry he had to import grapevines from India to do it because France was plagued by a pest (phylloxera) at the time.
- Greek and Roman Emperors imported their wine from Israel.
- Over 33 million bottles of wine produced each year in Israel; the vast majority of them are kosher.
COMMUNITY NEWS AND EVENTS
JUF Annual Dessert Reception, April 22
Save the Date, or Join the Committee!
Shir Hadash members Rich and Rachel Siegel are again serving as co-chairs or the Northwest Suburban JUF Dessert Reception, scheduled for April 22 at 7:30pm at Congregation Beth Judea. This year’s guest speaker will be Alon Ben-Gurion, grandson of the late Israeli prime minister David Ben-Gurion. This important and exciting program will raise money for the 2018 JUF Annual Campaign, supporting vital programs and services in Chicago, Israel and throughout the Jewish world. If you would like to join Rich and Rachel on the event committee, contact SandiKaplan@JUF.org by February 19.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Simcha Tree Leaves Available for Purchase
Our Tree of Joy—a Simcha Tree—is situated in our Community Room to remind us of all the joys of our lives. The leaves come in copper, silver, and gold. Each leaf marks a lasting memory of a joyous simcha in the lives of members of Shir Hadash. We invite you to add your loved ones’ simchas to our Tree and share your nachas with our congregation or just add your loved ones’ names out of love. Leaves can be purchased to mark your special family or individual accomplishments. Click here to see additional information and make your purchase.
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
Having a Memorial Plaque for a loved one in Shir Hadash’s Memorial Wall 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 Your Valentine
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. 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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