Shir Hadash Newsletter <newsletter@shir-hadash.org>
Thu 12/6/2018, 10:43 PM
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
- Hanukkah Happenings at Shir Hadash, December 7
- Family Shabbat, 5:30
- Community Service and Celebration, 7:30
- Religious School on December 9
- Holiday Toy Drive Ends Soon
- Gift of Membership Program Extended to December 15
- Tonight! Mussar Study Group, December 6
- Sunday! Social Action Committee Meeting, December 9
- New! New Member Dinner, January 12
- Book Club, January 17
- Save the Date! Coffee House Night, February 2
- New! Yom Tikkun Olam, February 10
- Tzedakah for California Wildfire Relief
- Recap: Holiday Tikkun Olam at JCFS
- Thank You for Supporting Pittsburgh Community
- Support Food Pantries with Interfaith Council
Israel Awareness
- Did You Know? Facts About Israel
- SHOP Shir Hadash
- Simcha Tree Leaves
- Don’t Forget Our Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers!
- Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
HANUKKAH HAPPENINGS AT SHIR HADASH!
- Friday, December 7: 5:30 pm Family Hanukkah Shabbat -- We will gather for dinner at 5:30pm and then have a family-friendly service and celebration of Hanukkah afterwards. There will be Hanukkah songs, light sticks for the kids, and a dessert to follow. We hope to get a few dreidel games going as well. And latkes and jelly donuts! No charge but please RSVP here.
- Friday, December 7, 7:30pm - Community Shabbat Hanukkah Celebration -Songs, music, dance, readings, prayers and decorations! We look forward to some special dedications too. And latkes and jelly donuts!
- 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.
December 7-8, 2018 / 30 Kislev 5779 / Shabbat Miketz - Chanukah
Torah: Genesis 41:1 - 44:17
Maftir: Numbers 7:30 - 7:41 | Shabbat Chanukah - Day 6
Haftarah: Zechariah 2:14-4:7 | Shabbat Chanukah and Rosh Hodesh Tevet
“From Food to Hope”
Dear Friends,
What does it mean to share food with those who are hungry? The Torah text offers a clue. In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to find food, as there is a famine in the Land of Israel. Throughout the story, food is referred to as ‘shever’ or ‘rations.’ Our sages suggested that one could read the Hebrew word as ‘sever,’ which means ‘hope.’
From this we learn that providing food to the hungry means more than quieting an empty stomach. It means more than providing strength to the weak. It means more than offering nourishment to the tired. Providing food rations offers hope to those in need. During the closing days of Hanukkah, the holiday season and throughout the year, do your part to feed the hungry and bring hope to their lives.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Religious School, December 9 -- We look forward to seeing all our students and families at 9:15am.
Gift of Membership Opportunity Extended to December 15 --Do you have a friend or family member you'd like to give the Gift of Membership for the balance of this year? Contact the office or Stuart Aizenberg, stuartaizenberg@gmail.com, for more information. You will be provided with a certificate that you can give to your candidate that they can turn in with their request for membership. The deadline is extended to December 15. Their membership will be good through June 30. Dues and Building Fund are waived. School tuition and fees are required if they want to enroll children in our religious school. Previous Shir Hadash members are not eligible.
One Week Left for Holiday Toy Drive --There are many children in our area who won't receive any holiday gifts unless people provide donations. It is the last week to drop off your donations for the holiday gift drive! Place new, unwrapped presents in the Shir Hadash lobby by December 16.
Please no items with batteries or associated with violence. The most-requested items are: board games and card games • puzzles • Legos • dolls and accessories (especially ethnic dolls) • basketballs • soccer balls • science kits and other educational toys • headphones and mp3 players • gift cards. Donations will go to children in need who are JCFS clients or to children in the foster system who are living in group homes. Questions? Contact Lisa Burton Radzely, Social Action Chair, at SocialActionSH@gmail.com.
Tonight! Mussar Study Group, December 6--All are welcome to join the Shir Hadash Mussar study group, which will meet on the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 pm. The core text we are studying is Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar, by Alan Morinis. There is no charge for participation in the Mussar Study Group. The schedule for the next several months is: December 6: Gratitude; January 3: Equanimity; and February 7: Honor. Please email Lynn Liebling, lliebling@sbcglobal.net if you are interested in attending or if you have any questions.
Social Action Committee Meeting, December 9 -- Social Action Committee meets this Sunday, December 9, 10am-12pm in the annex conference room. All are welcome, whether or not you have attended previously! If you cannot attend but want to get involved, email our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely at socialactionsh@gmail.com.
New! New Member Dinner, January 12 - Save the date for a community celebration on Saturday, January 12 from 6:30 to 9:30pm. All new members who have joined since January 2018 will be honored and attend free of charge. After Havdalah, we will have dinner, games, and musical entertainment by our own Mitchell Green.
Book Club, January 17 --The next book we discuss will be Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean by Edward Kritzler. The book's subtitle gives a taste of the story: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom, and Revenge. We will meet on January 17 at the home of Donna Torf, 2210 Ash Lane in Northbrook. For questions contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.
Save the Date! Next Coffee House Night, February 2 -- Mark your calendar for another great evening of entertainment! Coffee House Night will return in February for more wonderful performances in an open-mic setting. Watch for more details and sign-ups in January.
New - Save the Date! Yom Tikkun Olam, A Day of Repairing the World, February 10 -- Our congregation will come together for one special day to repair the world. There will be projects for adults and children that are enjoyable and meaningful as we help make the better world a better place. More details coming soon. Save the date to be at Shir Hadash on Sunday, February 10, 11:00am-12:30pm!
Israeli Film Series at Shir Hadash--Our next film will be in January. Please contact Burton Kopulsky atbkopulsk@chicagobooth.edu with both suggestions for future films and/or if you can help by sponsoring a showing.
Did You Know? Facts About Israel - Hanukkah Edition!
- Special events in Israel for Hanukkah include an annual relay race of torch-bearers from the Maccabee's home town of Modi’in in the Judean Hills outside Jerusalem to the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. People line the road from Modi'in to Jerusalem passing the torch from hand to hand. Runners relay torches through the streets, passing the torch to the Chief Rabbi who lights the first candle of a large Menorah.
- Sufganiyot (doughnuts) are by far the most popular Hanukkah food in Israel. Every year, Israelis eat a whopping 24 million of these fried treats made especially for the holiday.
- The Israeli defense ministry purchased 360,000 sufganiyot for the troops. This total includes vegan friendly sufganiyot for the 10,000 vegan soldiers. In addition, the Defense Ministry purchased 16,000 packages of Hanukkah candles, 30,700 tin menorahs and 200 large menorahs for the holiday.
- Plays, festivals, and shows are popular ways for Israelis to celebrate the holiday. About 5,000 people also annually participate in an open public excavation at the Timna archaeological site.
Tzedakah for California Wildfire Relief – California recently suffered the most destructive and deadliest wildfires in its history. Tzedakah donations through January will help individuals and synagogues needing assistance with their devastating losses. All contributions appreciated. Checks can be made to JUF. Please leave contributions in the tzedakah box near the prayer books, or they can be given to the office in person or mailed to the synagogue. 100% of donations will go toward helping the fire victims because Jewish United Fund is absorbing all administrative costs. Contact our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely, at socialactionsh@gmail.com if you have questions.
Recap: Holiday Tikkun Olam at JCFS -- 16 Shir Hadashniks had a productive and enjoyable afternoon at Jewish Child and Family Services. We prepared holiday gifts for delivery throughout Chicagoland. Nearly 600 children will receive presents through this program!
There's still an opportunity to brighten children's holidays! Our holiday gift drive continues through December 16. Donations will go to children in foster care. For more information, see above.
Donations Support Pittsburgh Community - Many thanks to everyone who donated in November to help those affected by the acts of violence against Jewish worshippers in Pittsburgh. Chana Sulpar reports that your generosity raised $704.85 to support their community as they recover.
Food Pantry Donations Continue--Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council supports local food pantries throughout the year. Please remember those less fortunate by donating canned goods 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.)
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 - Now Including Flappy’s!--The Continental Restaurant in Buffalo Grove, Butterfield’s Restaurant in Northbrook, and now all three locations of Flappy’s 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 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 SHOP SHOPl!--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.
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