WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Events
- Capital Improvements Survey Results
- Save the Date! Hot Tub Havdalah, July 7
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Family Shabbat, June 1
- Board Installation Shabbat Service with Lahaka Adult Choir, June 1
- Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, June 2
- Upcoming Services
- Oneg Volunteers Needed -- Sign Up Today
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “Color Blind”
Adult Education
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbi, May 31
Israel Awareness
- Did You Know? Fun Facts About Israel
Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council
- Events and Programs from Interfaith Council
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 NEWS AND EVENTS
Capital Improvement Survey Results
As promised, below are the results of the Capital Improvement Survey which sought to learn what projects our members viewed as important to pursue. They are ranked in descending order with the average score for each project. The scoring is based on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being most important and 10 being of no importance.
Average Score/Item
- 2.252: Driveway Repair/Maintenance
- 2.364: HVAC
- 4.381: New Furniture Lobby & Community Room
- 4.706: Painting
- 4.762: Ark Door & Sanctuary Artwork
- 5.050: Pay Down Mortgage
- 5.133: Built-In Gift Shop
- 5.167: Library & Conference Room Improvements
- 5.222: High Definition Sanctuary Camera
- 6.059: Additional Lighting In Classroom Hall and Replace Exit Signs
- 6.167: Twelve Tribes Artwork In Sanctuary
- 6.438: Landscaping & Features at Green Space East Of Building
Thanks to all who took the time to complete the survey and contribute to the results.
Save the Date! Hot Tub Havdalah, Saturday, July 7, 7:30pm
Community Havdalah, Social, Dessert and Hang-Out at the Schleicher home. Join the Shir Hadash community at 7:30pm for an intimate havdalah service at the home and garden of members Sandi & Lise Schleicher. No RSVP necessary. For the address, drop a note to info@shir-hadash.org.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
This Week’s Services
Family Shabbat, Friday June 1, 5:30pm -- Don’t miss our “Welcome Summer” family Shabbat on June 1, featuring a delicious dinner of hot dogs, tater tots, and roasted marshmallows. Rabbi Eitan will lead us in songs and prayers in an interactive service designed for families with young children.
Shabbat Evening Service: Friday June 1, 7:30pm
Board Installation Shabbat – Celebrating Jewish Leadership
Join us for a Shabbat service celebrating the long tradition of leadership in service to the Jewish community. From Moses and Aaron to the Priests and Levites to the leaders of today, there is an unbroken chain. We will install the new members of our Board of Directors and wish them great success. The Lahaka adult choir will sing during our services.
Shabbat Morning Bat Mitzvah Service, Saturday June 2, 9:30am
We welcome Marlee Michaels to the bima as Bat Mitzvah.
Upcoming Services
- Friday, June 8 -- Kabbalat Shabbat and Speaker Series, 7:30pm
- Friday, June 15 -- Shabbat Under the Stars Outdoor Service, 7:30pm
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
June 1-2, 2018 / 19 Sivan 5778
Shabbat Beha’alotecha
Torah: Numbers 8:1 - 12:16 / Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7
“Color-Blind”
Shabbat Beha’alotecha
Torah: Numbers 8:1 - 12:16 / Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7
“Color-Blind”
Dear Friends,
Does the Torah actually make a comment about racial prejudice? Indeed it does! In this week’s Torah portion, Miriam and Aaron criticize Moses for marrying a Cushite woman. The land of Cush is in Africa south of Egypt, essentially northern Sudan and Ethiopia. So, presumably the woman was of darker skin color. We cannot be certain who the Cushite woman was. She might have been Tzipora, Moses’ wife. However, Tzipora was the daughter of a Midianite priest, who probably came from northern Arabia. The Cushite woman might have been a second wife, or she may be from a different story tradition regarding Modes’ wife/wives.
Most commentators believe that Miriam and Aaron’s criticism was about the woman’s dark skin color. Because of the outburst Miriam is punished with leprosy. Both Moses and Aaron intervene with God on her behalf, with the famous words, El na refa na lah– heal her God and she will be healed. Miriam is sent from the camp for seven days and eventually she recovers.
The Torah text is sending us a message from more than 3,000 years ago. We may not judge a person based on the color of their skin, their country of origin, or their marital status. There is a better way. It was the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King who summed it up best: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
Zay a mentsch – be a good person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
To enjoy past entries of the Rabbi's Corner, please visit our website.
ADULT EDUCATION
Lunch and Learn at Shir Hadash, May 31
Join Rabbi Eitan and Shir Hadash members and friends for refreshing and contemporary Jewish learning. We are studying the books of Joshua and Judges, which cover the fascinating period of Jewish history from the crossing of the Jordan River until the first kings of Israel. Everyone is welcome. No prior study, expertise, or background required. Feel free to bring your lunch.
ISRAEL AWARENESS
Did You Know? Fun Facts About Israel
- Israel has the highest number of university degrees per capita in the entire world and also the highest per capita number of PhDs.
- There's sense of informality among teachers and students in Israeli institutions and hence, they call their teachers by their first name.
- Women form the majority of those studying for degrees in Israel - at the Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral levels.
- Israeli academics produce more scientific papers per capita than anywhere else in the world and by a large margin – 109 per 10,000 people.
- The Weizmann Institute of Science has been voted the best university in the world for scientific research.
NORTHWEST SUBURBAN INTERFAITH COUNCIL
Events and Projects from the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council
Shir Hadash is an active member of the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council. We look forward to the summer with the following upcoming programs:
- 5th Annual i-Walk Against Hunger, June 24: A family walk from St. Mary Parish to Hope Lutheran Church and back. All donations collected go to assist our food pantries. We need walkers, sponsors and volunteers.
- 5th Annual Service Trip to Detroit, August 1-5:Volunteers will work with Cass Community Social Services to repair, maintain and build facilities to benefit the hungry, homeless, and unemployed. For more information and to register, click here.
- Food Donations: Please remember those less fortunate. Donations of canned goods are accepted throughout the year at our food pantries located at Congregation Beth Am (1370 Abbott Court, Buffalo Grove), Kingswood Methodist Church (401 W. Dundee, Buffalo Grove) and St. Mary Parish (10 North Buffalo Grove Road.)
We are discussing ideas for further educational programming. If you have any suggested topics, please contact Suzanne Wexler at skwexler@yahoo.com or 847-769-8257.
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 Teacher and Grad Gifts!
It’s the end of the school year, and you know you’ll be picking up lots of gift cards for the teachers and graduates in your life! 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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