WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Membership News and Events
- Save the Date! Hot Tub Havdalah, July 7
- Volunteer Office Help at Shir Hadash
- Member Needs Assistance with Meals
- National Convention in November - Early Bird Registration Closes June 30
- Book Club, August 16
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service, June 9
- Next Week: Shabbat Under the Stars, June 15
- Oneg Volunteers Needed -- Sign Up Today
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “Strong and Courageous”
Adult Education
- Lunch and Learn with the Rabbi on Summer Break
Israel Awareness
- Did You Know? Fun Facts About Israel
Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council
- iWalk, June 24
- Events and Programs from Interfaith Council
- Sock Drive Success
Donations
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
Sunday! Join Shir Hadash at the Greater Chicago Jewish Festival
The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival is held every two years and will be held this coming Sunday, June 10 from 11:00 am to 6:00pm. This exciting event offers live entertainment, art exhibits, and dozens of Jewish organizations from across Chicagoland. The festival is held in the Cook County Forest Preserve St. Paul Woods in Morton Grove.
Shir Hadash will have a table at the Festival to introduce folks to our synagogue and to answer questions. We need volunteers to man the table for shifts of approximately 90 minutes. If you'd like to help, please click here to sign up.
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.
Volunteer Office Help at SH
It’s that time of year again! The Shir Hadash office is seeking some volunteers for the summer/fall season. Please contact Julie Wellisch at admin@shirhadash.org or call the office at 847 498 8218 if you can help us out. Very part-time flexible time slots available.
Member Needs Assistance
Luba Rothblatt is in need of some meals. She just returned from a hospital stay and would greatly appreciate a little help with meals starting around June 11. You can call her at 847 412 1514, or email her at lubaroth@comcast.net to make drop-off arrangements. Her address is 2 Court of Harborside in Northbrook. Thank you!
National Reconstructing Judaism Convention, November
Early Bird Discount Rates Close on June 30
The annual convention for the Reconstructing Judaism Movement will be held November 15-18 in Philadelphia. Registration is open for this exciting event filled with workshops, music, worship, and fresh ideas. Sign up before June 30 to take advantage of early bird discounts! Click here for registration details, or contact Executive Director Geoff Prass, geoff@shir-hadash.org, for more information.
Book Club, August 16
On May 22, the Book Club discussed Gloria Goldreich’sThe Bridal Chair. Twelve of us entertained the role that Ida Chagall played in her famous father’s life. She bridged the gap between Marc Chagall’s personal world and the real world of his time. We viewed a few books containing images of his artwork.
The next book will be What the Lady Wants by Renee Rosen. We will meet on Thursday, August 16. Contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com for more information.
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service, Saturday June 9, 9:30am
We welcome Yosef Furlett to the bima as Bar Mitzvah.
Next Week! Shabbat Under the Stars, June 15
Join us for a special Shabbat Service Under the Stars. We will gather in our courtyard for a camp-style service with lots of singing. Then Rabbi Eitan will offer a special blessing send-off to those youths attending summer camp – both day camp and overnight. Bring a camp themed treat to share for the oneg refreshments on the patio. Enjoy a fresh s'more on our campfire, too!
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 8-9, 2018 / 26 Sivan 5778
Shabbat Shelach Lecha
Torah: Numbers 13:1 - 15:41 / Haftarah: Joshua 2:1 - 24
“Strong and Courageous”
Dear Friends,
What was the sin of the spies whom Moses sent to view the Land of Israel? Only two years after the Exodus, the Children of Israel reached the border of the Promised Land of Israel. Twelve spies were sent out and after 40 days, they brought back their report. Two spies, Joshua and Calev, said that the Land was ripe for the taking and that the Children of Israel should advance now. But, the ten other spies reported that the people living there were giants and that the Children of Israel did not have a chance of succeeding, saying, “We are like grasshoppers compared to them.” Of course, the people panicked and rebelled against Moses and God. For this reason, Israelites were sent back out into the desert for 38 years of wandering so that a new generation born in freedom would merit entering the Land. Of the old generation, only Joshua and Calev lived to enter the Land.
What was the sin of the ten spies? For some commentators, the frightening report revealed how low was their self-esteem. In their own eyes they were grasshoppers, weak, feeble, scrawny, and fragile. In their own eyes they were powerless and failures without even trying.
It takes courage, audacity, and boldness to master our “Promised Lands.” It takes belief in oneself and confidence to rise up and pursue our goals. We Jews pride ourselves on a strong sense of ‘chutzpah’ to achieve and progress. We Jews pride ourselves on our sense of self-assurance and vision to turn dreams into reality. “Chazak v’Amatz” – be strong and courageous were Moses words to Joshua. “Chazak v’Amatz” – be strong and courageous are the words that our tradition sends to each one of us as we seek our dreams.
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 on Summer Break
Our regular Thursday discussion with the Rabbi is on hiatus until the fall. Watch for future newsletter announcements about Lunch and Learn and our other Adult Education classes.
ISRAEL AWARENESS
Did You Know? Fun Facts About Israel
- The Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra (today the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) gave its first concert in Tel Aviv under the baton of Arturo Toscanini in 1936.
- World-class music events which take place in Israel include the International Harp Contest and the Artur Rubinstein Piano Competition.
- The New Israel Opera Company was founded in 1985. This was the first successful attempt to establish a permanent repertory opera, after a series of failed attempts starting in the 1940s. In 1995, the Opera moved into a permanent home in the Golda Center in Tel Aviv.
- The Israel Ballet is a dance company that performs works of classical ballet and neoclassical ballet. It has represented Israel in tours around the world and in important festivals in Europe, Asia and America.
- Israel has more museums per capita than anywhere else in the world.
NORTHWEST SUBURBAN INTERFAITH COUNCIL
Sock Drive Success!
Thank you to everyone who donated socks to our Sock Drive! It was a very extremely successful endeavor, with over 2000 pairs of socks collected from our Interfaith Council member congregations.
More 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 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.
DONATIONS
Generous Donations to the General Fund have been made by:
- Rochelle Price
- Glenn Graff
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 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. 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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