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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Shabbat Evening Service, June 7
- Shavuot Programs, June 8
- Sponsor an Oneg
- Adult Ed: Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays
- Adult Ed: Torah and Jewish Philosophy, Summer Sundays
- RSVP by June 9! "The Band's Visit" at Cadillac Palace Theater, Sept. 15
- Tonight! Book Club, June 6
- Synagogue Closed June 10 for Shavuot
- Voluntary Commitment Replaces Dues
- New Board Members Elected
- Shir Hadash in the Community this Summer
- Reconstructing Judaism Today - Link to e-Newsletter
- Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council "iWalk" for the Hungry
Israel Awareness
- Israeli Film Series
- Did You Know? Facts About Israel - Food Edition
Jewish Community Events
- "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 Service, June 7, 7:30 p.m. -- Shabbat Bamidbar
“Jerusalem Archaeology – Uncovering Three Thousand Years of Jewish Life in the Holy City” -- During our worship, Rabbi Eitan will lead us in exploring a piece of the fascinating archaeology of Jerusalem as revealed through exciting excavations. Don’t miss this rare glimpse into the history of Jerusalem. Our Lahaka adult choir will sing during our service. Please bring a treat to share during our oneg refreshments.Saturday, June 8, 9:30am - Shabbat Morning Service with B’nai Mitzvah
Saturday evening! Shavuot Learning Programs -- and Blintzes! June 8 -- On Shavuot, we commemorate the Jews receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. So how do we celebrate such a momentous occasion?
Two ways: One is to gather in the evening to study Torah or other Jewish topics. The other is to eat cheese and wheat - especially in the form of blintzes and cheesecake. Beginning at 7:30pm, we'll have a brief Shavuot service followed by a series of short study sessions on Jewish topics, led by Shir Hadash members, including:
- Jews on the Silk Road (David Liebling)
- Depression (Lise Schleicher)
- Mussar (Kayla Shonberg)
- End of Life Issues (Rabbi Marcey and Suzie Sabransky)
- What is Reconstructionism? (Rabbi Eitan/Fred Andes)
- The Book of Ruth (Kayla Shonberg and David Liebling)
And, of course, we'll have our beloved blintz bar! Peruse our toppings or bring your own to share- perhaps you'll start the next great fad in blintz accessorizing!
To go with our blintzes, please bring cheese- or wheat-related snacks or baked goods to fuel our studying! And for those who don't eat cheese or wheat, other oneg items are always welcome.
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.
June 7-8, 2019 / 5 Sivan 5779 / Omer Day 49 / Shabbat Bamidbar
Torah: Numbers 1:1 - 4:20 / Haftarah: Hosea 2:1 - 2:22
Dear Friends,
Why do so many significant events in Jewish history occur in the desert? This week’s Torah portion, BaMidbar (literally “In the Desert”), continues the story of the wanderings of the Children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land of Israel. These desert wanderings would take 40 years!
For Jews, the desert has always inspired great awe and wonder. We even have a blessing to say upon seeing the desert, which praises God for the wondrous works of creation. For us, the desert encourages quiet contemplation, self-exploration, and spiritual awakening. The desert is the place where the Children of Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai and matured as a people.
As spring is here and summer approaches, I encourage you to find time to go to the wilderness. Hike in the beautiful forests around Chicago and beyond. Take time to appreciate nature. Take the opportunity to find calm and tranquility in the natural world.
Zay a Mentsch – Be a Good Person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
To read past entries of view Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow's blog, please visit our website.
Final Session Today: 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.
RSVP by June 9! "The Band's Visit" at the Cadillac Palace Theater, September 15 -- Shir Hadash will be going as a group to see last year's Tony winner for Best Musical, The Band's Visit, on Sunday September 15 at 2:00pm. The musical won 10 Tony Awards and the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, and is based on the Israeli movie of the same name which we screened last summer at Shir Hadash. It tells the heartwarming story of an Egyptian band stranded in a dusty Israeli town. Click here to see the original cast performance of the number "Omar Sharif" at the 2018 Tony Awards.
We will be purchasing a block of group tickets in the mid-balcony for $58 each. Broadway in Chicago has tight restrictions on group seats, so if you plan to go, you must e-mail Burton Kopulsky at bkopulsk@chicagobooth.edu by this Sunday June 9. We will then purchase the block of tickets and you will have two weeks to pay for your tickets via our website or they will be canceled.
Please reach out to Burton with any questions. We will coordinate a dinner around the show closer to the performance. If you choose to purchase your own tickets to the show separately, you are still welcome to join the dinner.
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.
Synagogue Closed June 10 -- We will be closed in observance of Shavuot on Monday, June 10.
Landscaping Help Needed -- Look at the beautiful blooms surrounding Shir Hadash! Our landscaping volunteers could use some extra hands with the following projects to keep everything looking bright and healthy:
Mulching the birch tree island: Are you free next Wednesday or Friday morning, June 12 or June 14? We are planning to mulch the one parking lot island with the annual plants. We can save $150 doing the work ourselves. In addition to looking good, mulching has a lot of practical purposes: it keeps down weeds, helps plants retain water, and keeps plant roots cool. All of these help protect our investment in our landscape.
Watering. With all the rain we are getting, it's hard to imagine the plants will ever need watering. Looking ahead, July and August are hot, dry months, and we want to water our new plantings in the parking lot islands.
Call or text Deb Harrison, (847) 997-9629, to help with either of these tasks.
Voluntary Commitment Replaces Dues - What does it mean for you? A Message from our Membership Chairs - Membership renewal starts this month for everyone. Our new fiscal year starts July 1.
We will be calling everyone to discuss the new voluntary commitment program and to answer your questions. Our hope is to speak with every member either in person or by phone by the end of June. The calls should take about five minutes. There is no need to wait for us to call; feel free to reach out to us either by phone or email to schedule a time to chat, or call the synagogue office at 847-498-8218.
Stuart Aizenberg - 847-840-7895 - stuartaizenberg@gmail.com
Lisa Settler - 224-595-1189 - settlerl@comcast.net
New Board Members Elected -- At the recent Annual Meeting, Shir Hadash members approved the budget for 2019-20 and elected the following individuals to the Board of Directors:
- President (Two-Year Term): Marc Fargotstein
- Executive Vice President (Two-Year Term): Stuart Aizenberg
- Vice President of Programming (Two-Year Term): Melanie Andes
- Members at Large: Fred Andes, Ila Rothschild, Nellie Settler, Elliott Simon
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, 6:00-8:00pm: 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! Read all about the parade and register here.
- 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 in the Park with Bagels, Sunday July 14, 10-11:30 am: (NW Connectors)
- National Night Out with Wheeling Police and Fire, Tuesday August 6, , 6:00-9:00 pm
- Fall Fest, Sunday September 15 (NW Connectors)
SH in BG Pride Parade -- Shir Hadash members enjoyed a beautiful day marching in the first-ever Pride Parade in Buffalo Grove on June 2.
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 the e-newsletter Reconstructing Judaism Today, and receive other vital communication from Reconstructing Judaism, just click on this link.
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.
New! Sixth Annual iWalk for the Hungry, June 23 -- Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council presents the iWalk 5k, a family event to support food pantries in our local communities. The event begins and ends in the parking lot at St. Mary Parish, 10 Buffalo Grove Road in Buffalo Grove. Complete details available at www.NorthwestSuburbanInterfaith.org.
JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS
"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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