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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Evening Service, Friday May 17, 7:30pm
- Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service, Saturday May 18, 10:00am
- Sponsor an Oneg
- Final School Day Festivities, May 19
- No Adult Ed on May 19
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays
- Tonight! Mussar Study Group, 7:30pm
- Annual Meeting May 19, 9:15am
- Voluntary Commitment Model
- Flower Planting, May 19, 12:30pm
- Join SH in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, June 2
- Book Club, June 6
- Book Drive for Bernie's Book Bank Going on Now
- Sock Drive Extended Through May 19
Israel Awareness
- Israeli Film Series
- Did You Know? Facts About Israel - Botany Edition
Jewish Community Events
- JUF Dinner Honoring Dr. Steven B. Nasatir, May 29
- JCC/JUF Presents "Chicago Loves Israel" Celebration, June 2
- "Anti-Semitism in Our Backyard," June 11
- Sponsor a Bimah Ark Panel
- SHOP Shir Hadash
- Simcha Tree Leaves
- Don’t Forget Our Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers!
- Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
Friday, May 17 -- Shabbat Evening Service, 7:30 pm: “Israel: 71 Years of Independence." Let’s celebrate Israel’s remarkable 71 years as a modern state. We will hear about what it was like to grow up in Israel over the years and we will enjoy music and songs about Israel. We may even learn and Israeli dance or two and enjoy some Israeli snacks. Please bring treats for our oneg refreshments following the service and celebration.
Saturday, May 18 -- Shabbat Morning Service with Bar Mitzvah, 10:00 am
Sponsor an Oneg! Having a birthday, anniversary or remembrance? You can sponsor an oneg to celebrate. A dessert oneg is $136 and everybody appreciates and enjoys your hospitality. The donation covers all food, including a special celebration cake. Please contact Nancy Kekst at the synagogue office to make arrangements.
May 17-18, 2019 / 13 Iyar 5779 / Omer Day 28 / Shabbat Emor
Torah: Leviticus 21:1-24:23 / Haftarah: Ezekiel 44:15-31
“We’ll Leave the Light On for You”
Dear Friends,
We all have fears of the dark. That’s why carrying a flashlight or turning on a cellphone light brings great relief when we can’t see. Some will turn on a nightlight to give us comfort when we wake in the middle of the night.
When Motel 6 came out with its slogan, “We’ll leave the light on for you,” it touched everyone with a note of kindness and sincerity. It promised safety in a dark and lonely world.
This week’s Torah portion mentions the kindling of the Eternal Light in the holy sanctuary during the desert wanderings from Egypt to the Promised Land. It was to burn on and on representing the spiritual and holy nature of the Mishkan, the holy tabernacle. It represented that God’s presence would always be with the Children of Israel. At Shir Hadash, the Eternal Light in our sanctuary burns on and on as well. It represents God’s presence in our lives. The light means that as we go through life, we are not alone. We are not left in the dark. It signifies that our Jewish heritage and tradition bring meaning and joy to our lives. The Eternal Light reminds us that our Jewish community is here for us each and every day.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Adult Education Programs -- Please note that there will be no adult education classes on May 19, so that everyone will be free to participate in the Annual Meeting.
Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan -- Each Thursday, join Rabbi Eitan and Shir Hadash members and friends for an exploration of the weekly Torah portion from 1:00 to 2:00pm.
Tonight! Mussar Study Group, May 16, 7:30pm -- The Mussar Study Group will have its final meeting of the year this evening to discuss the theme of Trust. All are welcome.
Sunday! Annual Meeting May 19 -- Shir Hadash will hold its annual meeting at the synagogue. Voting will open starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting presentations will begin at 9:15 a.m. You will be able to vote during the meeting, and there will be presentations by candidates, clergy and officer reports concerning the proposed budget and our new voluntary commitment program, with opportunities to ask questions. Coffee, tea, and food will be available during the meeting.
Price of Admission: (either or both) Gently-used and new books for birth through sixth grade for Bernie's Book Bank and/or new socks for men, women or children for the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council to distribute homeless individuals and families in the northwest suburbs. Click here for further information!
Voluntary Commitment Model - Shir Hadash's new dues structure, an engaging approach we call the Voluntary Commitment Model, encourages you to determine how much to give based upon your level of commitment, Shir Hadash's needs, and what you can afford. Our goal is to recognize each person's personal journey, while embracing a congregation-wide commitment to meeting our congregation's fiscal needs. There will be time for questions at the Annual Meeting on May 19. Additional information is available on our website.
If you have questions or would like to volunteer to work with the Membership Committee, please contact us at committee.membership@shir-hadash.org.
Sunday! Flower Planting, May 19 -- After the Annual Meeting and the Religious School assembly, come outside to help make our shul more beautiful as we plant flowers around the property! Bring your gloves and a spade or shovel and join your fellow gardeners from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Volunteers can take home a plant as a thank you! Sign up on the sheet near the Bagel Bar.
March in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, June 2 -- Shir Hadash will participate in the first Buffalo Grove Pride Parade and Diversity Festival, celebrating diversity and showing our support for the LGBTQ+ community. Everyone is welcome to join us! Please sign up here so we know who will be marching with us.
Book Club, June 6 -- Our next meeting will discuss Yiddish Civilisation: The Rise and Fall of a Forgotten Nation by Paul Kriwaczek. This is a fascinating work of non-fiction covering the history of Jews in Europe beginning around 980 C.E. We will be meeting at the home of Sandy Weiss in Northbrook at 7:30 p.m. For more information or to RSVP, contact Melanie Andes, fmandes@comcast.net.
ISRAEL AWARENESS
Israeli Film Series at Shir Hadash: Our next Israeli film showing will be after Yom Kippur in the fall. If you have any suggestions, please contact Burton Kopulsky, bkopulsk@chicagobooth.edu.
Did You Know? Facts About Israel - Botany Edition!
- Some 2,600 types of plants have been identified in Israel, ranging from alpine species on the northern mountain slopes to Saharan species in the Arava in the south.
- The Seven Species are seven agricultural products, two grains and five fruits, which are listed in the Torah as being products of the Land of Israel. The seven species listed are wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranates, olive oil, and date honey. These seven species were the staple foods consumed by the Jewish people in the land of Israel during biblical times. They contain special holiness, as reflected by the unique blessing recited after eating them, thanking God for the goodness of the land.
- The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens is a 30 acre oasis on the southeast corner of the Hebrew University’s Givat Ram campus that houses about 10,000 species arranged according to geography, with sections for plants native to the Mediterranean region, Central and Southwest Asia, Australia, North America, Europe and Southern Africa. It also has a large collection of bonsai trees, a tropical conservatory and an herb and medicinal plant garden. It is the largest collection in Israel and a living showcase for biodiversity.
- The Israel Society of Botany was founded by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the 1930s, as a similar society to those existing in Europe. The Society founded the Palestine Journal of Botany, which after the establishment of the State of Israel became the Israel Journal of Botany. The journal published papers related to systemic, physiological and ecological research on plants of Israel and the Near East.
Book Drive Going on Now -- Clean off those bookshelves or purchase a favorite for others to read. Throughout May, Shir Hadash is collecting gently-used and new books for birth through sixth grade. Bernie's Book Bank will distribute the books to children throughout the Chicago area. No dictionaries, textbooks, or religious books. Place books in the colorful box located in the lobby. (You can also make a monetary donation to help children develop a love of reading -- please see details below.)
If you have questions, email socialactionsh@gmail.com or ask Lisa Burton Radzely.
Tzedakah to Promote Literacy and to Help Chicago-Area Children Have Access to Books -- Monetary donations for Bernie's Book Bank can be placed in the tzedakah box near the prayer books, mailed or handed to the office, or made online. Checks should be made to Bernie's Book Bank. For online donations, click hereand then select Social Action under Donation Type. Please include in the Payment Notes that you would like your donation to go to Bernie's Book Bank.
Some people have indicated that they would like to donate books or make monetary contributions in memory of Meryl Abensohn. Please put a note in the memo field of a check or enclose a note, and on the online donation page, there is a field for Dedicate and you can select In Memory Of. Email socialactionsh@gmail.com or ask Lisa Burton Radzely if you have questions.
Sock Drive for the Homeless -- Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council is running its third annual "Knock Your Socks Off" sock drive at member congregations, including Shir Hadash. Drop off new socks for men, women or children in the box in the lobby by May 19. Donations will be distributed to homeless individuals and families in the northwest suburbs.
JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
JUF Dinner Honoring Dr. Stephen Nasatir, May 29 -- JUF invites you to a very special evening celebrating Dr. Steven B. Nasatir to honor his 40-year tenure as President of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Chicago on Wednesday May 29 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. For more details and registration, click here.
Chicago Loves Israel, June 2 -- JCC Chicago and Jewish United Fund present a full-day of fun activities for all ages celebrating Israel's 71st anniversary. Films, activities, and live music performances fill the Bernard Weinger JCC, 300 Revere Drive in Northbrook. Click here for details and registration.
"Anti-Semitism in our Backyard" June 11, 7:00 p.m. -- The Adult Jewish Education Co-op (AJEC) presents a discussion about the current anti-Semitic attitudes in the United States, the recently published anti-Semitic incident report, incidents and trends in the Chicago area, and how to respond. Speaker Michael Rothstein serves as a National Commissioner of the Anti Defamation League and is the former Chair of the ADL Midwest Board of Directors. The program is appropriate for young adults, sixth grade and older. The presentation will be held at Congregation Or Shalom in Vernon Hills and is open to the public free of charge.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Dedication of Twelve Tribes Bimah Panels -- On April 5, we dedicated our Twelve Tribes Bimah Ark Panels during our “Pausing in the Wilderness” service. Celebrating our fifth anniversary in our building, the panels are a combined creation of artists Maureen Fisher Schweit and Abe Schor, who worked together on concept, design and colors.
You are invited to participate in this fundraising historic project by dedicating all or part of a panel. Three panels have been dedicated and three more are under consideration--Each panel dedication is $1,800; panels may be dedicated by more than one person and families may pool resources to dedicate one panel (e.g, $180 each by 10 people). Donors will be acknowledged on our new donor wall next to the Simcha Tree. At present, four panels have been dedicated and two more are under consideration. To learn more about the Bimah Panels, click here. For questions, panel reservation, choice and payment options, contact Executive Director Nancy Kleine Kekst at (216) 789-2452 (mobile) or email execdir@shir-hadash.org.
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 SHOP!--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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