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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Shir Hadash Adopts Voluntary Commitment Dues Model
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Kabbalat Shabbat and SHED Talks, Friday May 10, 7:30 pm
- Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service, Saturday May 11, 9:30 am
- Sponsor an Oneg
- No Religious School on May 12
- Final Day Festivities, May 19
- Adult Education Programs
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays
- Annual Meeting May 19, 9:15am
- Flower Planting, May 19, 12:30pm
- Join SH in the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade, June 2
- Book Club, June 6
- Bar Mitzvah Project: Spark of Good News
- Notes from Nancy
- 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
- Tonight! Jewish National Fund Yom Ha'atzmaut Community Celebration, May 9
- 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 Art 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
If you have questions or would like to volunteer to work with the Membership Committee, please contact us at committee.membership@shir-hadash.org.
Friday, May 10 (Shabbat Kedoshim) -- Second Friday Kabbalat Shabbat and SHED Talks, 7:30 pm -- “SHED Talks – Shir Hadash’s version of TED Talks” – We begin with a brief Kabbalah Shabbat to welcome the Shabbat with song and story. Then, Shir Hadash members offer personal reflections on life, living, and Judaism. Our oneg following the service is sponsored by the Durlacher family in honor of Alex's bar mitzvah.
2. Ralph Nach - “Discovering Family Wherever They May Be” - Follow me on my journey to discover where I came from and, in the process, what I learned about some special people that I have met along the way. This session will help answer that nagging question, what do the Titanic and the Green Giant have in common?
Saturday, May 12 -- Shabbat Morning Service with Bar Mitzvah, 9:30 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.
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 10-11, 2019 / 6 Iyar 5779 / Day 21 of the Omer
Shabbat Kedoshim
Torah: Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27 / Haftarah: Amos 9:7 - 9:15
“Love Your Neighbor”
Dear Friends,
This week’s Torah portion contains one of the most powerful commandments, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)
In the wake of terror attacks at synagogues, mosques, churches, and other religious institutions around the world, this teaching takes on added significance and importance. Commenting on the text, ibn Ezra taught that one is responsible to love other human beings because the one God created all of them. The Torah teaches in Genesis that we are all created in the image of God. Thus, we Jews see that all humanity is connected, despite our differences. “Love your neighbor as yourself” teaches us to push through misunderstanding in order to build trust. It motivates us to go beyond that which divides us to foster relationships. It commands us to dispel the hatred by creating bridges of compassion, acceptance, coexistence, and love with all who dwell on earth.
Each one of us can play a role in bringing peace and healing to our world. Start with “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
To read past entries of view Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow's blog, please visit our website.
Final Day Festivities, May 19 -- It's hard to believe, but it's the end of another great year of Religious School! Parents, after the Annual Meeting ends come join our students at 11:30 for a closing assembly filled with a photo montage, music, presents and fun.
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.
Annual Meeting May 19 -- The Shir Hadash 2019 annual meeting will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2019, at 9:15 a.m., at the synagogue. At the meeting, we will share important information, vote on nominees for open positions on the Board of Directors, and approve the Shir Hadash budget for 2019-2020. Click here for more information. (Remember to bring along some books or socks for our Social Action collection efforts -- see below for details!)
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.
Bar Mitzvah Project: The Spark of Good News -- Religious School student Alex Durlacher is launching a newsletter to share positive, uplifting stories. We are looking for the best platform to share his newsletter with Shir Hadash members. Read Alex’s message below, and contact him directly with ideas!
Hello -- Welcome to The Spark of Good News, a News Organization that is meant to share good news throughout my community of Northeastern Illinois, and maybe throughout the country one day.
The Importance Of Positivity: You may be wondering questions like “Why are you making this?” and “What difference would an online newspaper make?” I don’t know if I am going to make a difference, to be honest. But I have to try, because change can start with just a spark of something good. I just want to make good news here in the US, so someone having a bad day could see this and perk up. That is what’s this is all about. A spark of good news.
Sad Truths of the News: So let’s face it. The news is all bad. (No offense, newspapers and news channels.) It just is. According to studies, people are more attracted to bad news then good news. At some times, the bad news might be slightly more entertaining than this. But I’m gonna set out to change that. I want people to wake up in the morning and read this, then having a good rest of the day. I want people to come home from work or school and read this, and maybe think the world's not all that bad. So while most people are gonna be attracted to the freak accidents and mass destruction, I am gonna do my part to make people happy throughout this community.
What You Can Do: But how can you guys do your part? It would mean the world to me if you only did two things. Firstly, tell me your opinions /reactions to the Spark of Good News by emailing me at Aquavex55@gmail.com. Also, you can write for me (and make my job easier) by also emailing me at aquavex55@gmail.com. Thanks for listening to me, and I hope you keep listening to future installments of The Spark of Good News.
Notes from Nancy
Our landscape committee chair Deb Harrison installed shrubs this week that were delivered by member Vicky Brice and her son. Please plan to join us to plant flowers on May 19 after the Annual Meeting (see above for timing) -- many hands make light work!
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.comor 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 here and 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
Tonight! Jewish National Fund Yom Ha'atzmaut Community Celebration, May 9 -- Celebrate 71 years of Israel’s Independence with a traditional torch lighting ceremony featuring leaders from across the community. Guests include Boaz Konforty, star of the Israeli Netflix series Fauda. The event will be held at North Shore Congregation Israel, 1185 Sheridan Road in Glencoe, with a VIP reception at 6:00pm followed by the general program at 6:45. For more information, call (847) 656-8880.
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 Artwork Panels during our “Pausing in the Wilderness” service. Celebrating our fifth anniversary in our building, the art 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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