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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Evening "Learner's Service", May 31
- Planning for Shavuot Programs, June 8
- Sponsor an Oneg
- Adult Ed: Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays
- Adult Ed: Torah and Jewish Philosophy, Summer Sundays
- Voluntary Commitment Dues Model
- Sunday! Shir Hadash Marches in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, June 2
- Book Club, June 6
- Shir Hadash in the Community this Summer
- Shir Hadash Building Supervisor Named Chair of Wheeling Plan Commission
- Reconstructing Judaism Today - Link to e-Newsletter
- Book Drive Brings in 500 Books
Israel Awareness
- Israeli Film Series
- Did You Know? Facts About Israel - Food Edition
Jewish Community Events
- 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
Shabbat Evening "Ask the Rabbi" Service, May 31, 7:30pm: Shabbat Bechukotai -- Our “Ask the Rabbi Service” offers a unique opportunity to ask your questions about the Shabbat worship service, the meaning of the prayers, why we do things as we do, and just about anything else in Judaism. Rabbi Eitan is ready to take your questions in this creative, lively, informal, and inspiring service style. Please bring a treat to share during the oneg refreshments following the service.
Shavuot Programs, June 8 -- Our next holiday, Shavuot, starts on Saturday night, June 8. Shavuot is the holiday on which we celebrate the Jews receiving the Torah from God. And how do we celebrate? Well, two ways. One is to have evening sessions in which we study Torah or discuss other Jewish subjects. The other is to eat cheese and wheat - which we at Shir Hadash interpret as a commandment to eat blintzes!
On Saturday night, June 8, starting at 7:30, we are going to have a Shavuot service and study session. First, a brief service. Then, we will have a bunch of short study sessions on Jewish topics, led by Shir Hadash members. So that's where you come in: we need people to lead those short study sessions. You can even pick your own Jewish topic! The sessions will be only about 20 minutes each. And you get blintzes after... So, if you would like to be one of those leaders, please contact Fred Andes at fredric.andes@btlaw.com.
Of course, even if you are not up to leading a session, we would love to have you there. And bring some cheese and wheat - we'll have blintzes from Max and Benny's, but other cheese and/or wheat items are allowed if blintzes are not your thing. And for those who can't eat cheese or wheat, other oneg items are always welcome. Come and be with us for a Shir Hadash Shavuot!
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.
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.
May 31-June 1, 2019 / 27 Iyar 5779 /Shabbat Bechukotai
Torah: Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34 / Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14
“Protecting the Earth”
Dear Friends,
The opening of this week’s Torah portion strikes a profound environmental message. God tells the Children of Israel that if they will follow God’s laws and observe God’s commandments, then the rains will fall at the right seasons and the earth and trees will give wonderful food. The grains and grapes will be abundant. There will be plenty to eat and everyone will be secure. The message is that we must live lives of righteousness and justice, taking care of the earth and the environment. We must avoid habitat destruction, pollution, and the disruption of ecosystems. We must do what we can to preserve and protect all living creatures and avoid species extinctions. When we do that, the earth and nature will be there to support us and all living things.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Let us do what we can to protect the earth and the earth will protect us.
Zay a Mentsch – Be a Good Person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
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. June 6 will be our last meeting before summer break.
Torah and Jewish Philosophy Summer Schedule -- While Religious School is on summer break, our Torah/Jewish Philosophy Adult Ed class with Fred Andes will continue to meet every other Sunday morning, at an off-site location that involves coffee and baked goods. Anyone who is interested in sitting in for any part of the summer should contact Fred at fandes@btlaw.com for details.
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. Representatives from the Membership Committee will be reaching out to the membership individually soon. If you have questions or would like to volunteer to work with the Membership Committee, please contact us at committee.membership@shir-hadash.org . Additional information is available on our website.
Sunday! 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. We will be walking as a group! The instructions and the route are now posted on our registration page. All walkers will receive a Shir Hadash tie-dye bandana with our logo. 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.
Shir Hadash in the Community -- Watch for the Membership Committee and various Shir Hadash members who will be spreading our name far and wide this summer!
- Support Rainbow in Deerfield, Sunday, June 9, 6-8 pm: Pride event will be held at at BJBE in Deerfield. This is a b'nai mitzvah project by our member Belle Fisher-Rodhe and supports Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook. For more info, visit the Facebook group.
- 125th Wheeling Jubilee Parade, Sunday June 23, 4:00 pm - We will be walking!
- Wheeling Shop Local Campaign, starts June 29 and runs six weeks - our Shir Hadash gift basket will be at the Buffalo Grove Bank and Trust
- Sunday July 14, 10-11:30 am: Sunday in the Park with Bagels (NW Connectors)
- Tuesday August 6, National Night Out with Wheeling Police and Fire, 6:00-9:00 pm
- Sunday September 15, Fall fFst (NW Connectors)
Don Johnson Named Chair of Wheeling Plan Commission -- Applause to Shir Hadash Building Supervisor Don Johnson who has been appointed by the Village President to take on the role of Wheeling Plan Commission Chairperson. Don has been serving as a Plan Commissioner since his original appointment in June of 2009. "It's a great way to give back to the community and to help in the growth of the Village", said Don. "And, it's fun to be in on the ground floor of the various developments coming to town." He has had input in the multi-million dollar Town Center, Northgate Crossings, the Whitley, and Uptown 500, all of which are within blocks from the synagogue.
Don has also been very involved with volunteer work with the Wheeling Police Department since 2002, as well as other organizations in Wheeling. We at Shir Hadash are very fortunate to have someone with Don's expertise, professionalism, and commitment to the community as a vital member of our team!
Reconstructing Judaism Today e-Newsletter -- Learn about what’s going on in Reconstructionist communities around the world, and gain access to exciting online learning opportunities and resources from the central organization of the movement, Reconstructing Judaism. To subscribe to receive Reconstructing Judaism Today, our e-newsletter, and receive other vital communication from Reconstructing Judaism, just click on this link and select which communications you’d like to receive.
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.
- The cherry tomato was engineered in Israel by two Hebrew University professors.
- Hummos is so popular in Israel, that an ice cream store in Jaffa actually sells hummos flavored ice cream.
- Tel Aviv has the third highest number of sushi restaurants per capita (after Tokyo and New York).
- Per capita, Israelis are the world’s biggest consumers of fruits, vegetables, and chicken.
- The James Beard Foundation recently named the Israeli restaurant Zahav (located in Philadelphia) as the best restaurant in the United States.
Around 500 Books Collected during Children's Book Drive! Our book drive collected approximately 500 books! Bernie's Book Bank will distribute them to at-risk children throughout the Chicago area. A big thank you to everyone who helped make this book drive a huge success!
JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
Sunday! 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 -- Breaking News: At the last Board meeting, a motion was passed making the panel dedications in perpetuity or as long as the art remains in our sanctuary. They will not expire in 18 years as previously noted.
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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