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WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual
- No Shabbat Service on January 24
- Sponsor an Oneg
- Religious School, January 26: Youth and Adult Ed Programs
- New Adult Ed Class: Judaism's Ten Best Ideas with Rabbi Eitan
- No'ar Hadash Midwest Youth Kallah, February 14-16
- Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursdays
- 2020 Event Preview
- New Member Dinner, January 25 - Registration closes today
- Film Screening: The Syrian Patient, February 1
- Cocktails at Mehran's, February 8
- Mussar Study Group, February 13
- Book Club, February 20
- Coffee House Night, February 22
- New! Supplies and Monetary Donations Needed for Yom Tikkun Olam
- Registration Open Now! Yom Tikkun Olam, February 23
- Trivia Night, February 29
- Voting Open for World Zionist Congress
- Save the Date and Get Involved! 25th Anniversary Gala, May 2
Social Action
- Relief Efforts for Ugandan Flood Victims
- Aid to Australia
- Sponsor a Bimah Ark Panel -- Only Three Left!
- SHOP Shir Hadash
- Simcha Tree Leaves
- Don’t Forget Our Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers!
- Shir Hadash Memorial Wall
- Links to Fundraisers: Amazon, iGive, and More
No Shabbat Services on January 24 - We hope you enjoy celebrating Shabbat with your family.
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, execdir@shir-hadash.org to make arrangements.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
January 24-25, 2020 / 28 Tevet 5780 / Shabbat Va’eira
Torah: Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 / Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21
“Four Cups of Wine”
Dear Friends,
Why do we drink four cups of wine at the Passover seder? This week’s Torah portion contains the foundation of this tradition. In Exodus chapter 6, verses 6 through 8, God offers five promises to the enslaved Children of Israel: I will free you…, I will deliver you…, I will redeem you…, I will take you…, and I will bring you… According to the Haggadah, the first four promises have been fulfilled and are symbolized by the four cups.
The fifth promise, however, is yet to be fulfilled and is therefore represented by Elijah’s cup. It is the cup of hope in a wonderful and peaceful future for our people and all who dwell on earth. This hopefulness leads us to say at the end of the seder, “Next year in Jerusalem, rebuilt and renewed.” With these words, we express our hope that the fifth promise will be realized soon and in our day.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Religious School, January 26 -- We look forward to seeing all our students at Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. In addition, we will hold our regular Adult Education classes, along with special classes, committee meetings and more:
- Torah & Jewish Philosophy with Fred Andes at 9:30 a.m.
- Hebrew Reading & Prayer with Steve Lewin at 10:30 a.m.
- Judaism's Ten Best Ideas with Rabbi Eitan at 11:15 a.m.
This class is based on Rabbi Arthur Green's book Judaism's 10 Best Ideas. We will explore what Rabbi Green considers the fundamental principles of Judaism and the concepts that exemplify the best contributions that Judaism has made to civilization.
No'ar Hadash Midwest Youth Kallah, February 14-16 -- The annual No’ar Hadash Midwest Youth Kallah for all of the Reconstructionst Youth in the Region (us, JRC, a few smaller midwest synagogues) is happening February 14-16 & Registration Is Open!
Much of the programming will be planned by participants and the leadership team will begin meeting at JRC soon... Please write Rachel Goldberg at educdirector@shir-Hadash.org to let her know if you'd like to be part of the leadership team for Kallah, and she will make sure you are included in those communications.
Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursdays -- Join the Rabbi and Shir Hadash members and friends at 1:00 p.m. for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion, a selected book of the Bible, or a contemporary work of Jewish wisdom.
Filling out your 2020 calendar? Be sure and add these Shir Hadash events (and scroll down for details about February events):
- January 25 -- New Member Havdalah and Dinner.
- February 1 -- Israeli Movie Night
- February 8 -- Cocktails and Conversation at Mehran's
- February 14-16 -- No'ar Hadash Midwest Youth Kallah (Grades 6-12)
- February 22-- Coffee House Night
- February 23 -- Yom Tikkun Olam (Social Action Day)
- February 29 -- Trivia Night
- March 7 -- Adult Purim Night
- March 8 -- Purim Carnival
- April 3 -- Pausing in the Wilderness Service
- April 9 -- SH Community Seder
- April 25 -- Israeli Movie Night
- May 2 -- 25th Anniversary Gala
- May 16 -- Coffee House
Final Day to RSVP - New Member Dinner, January 25, 6:00 p.m. -- We have more new members this year than at any time in the recent past. Help welcome them at a special evening including Havdalah, wine, dinner and entertainment. Register here for Saturday, January 25 at 6:00 p.m. Free admission for members who joined since February 2019 and their immediate families; for others, $18/per adult, $7 for children 4-12 and free for children under 4. Please RSVP by january 23 so we know how much food will be needed.
Israeli Film Night: The Syrian Patient, February 1 -- The Shir Hadash Israel Committee is sponsoring a movie night on Saturday, February 1. This is a free screening of the movie The Syrian Patient at 7:30. This unique documentary offers a look at Syrian wounded and their Israeli doctors at an Israeli hospital, where enemies meet and become connected. There is no charge for the film and snacks will be available for purchase. All are invited to remain after the screening for a discussion and treats. Donations gratefully accepted to help offset costs.
Cocktails and Conversation at Mehran's, February 8 -- Join your friends from Shir Hadash for an evening of cocktail mixing at Mehran Farahmandpour's house in Long Grove, on Saturday February 8 beginning at 6:30 p.m. We will have several drinks to compare, ranging from classic to fun. A variety of cheeses and other snacks will be paired with the drinks. Click here for directions and to RSVP.
Mussar Study Group, February 13 -- All are welcome to join our monthly discussion of Mussar, meeting on Thursday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. Mussar is a centuries old Jewish body of teachings, a perspective, and a disciplined practice that provides distinctively Jewish answers to the sorts of questions any thinking person asks about life. Mussar provides guidance in identifying your uniquely personal path of spiritual growth and offers practices to help bring about that growth. For more information, contact Lynn Liebling, lliebling@sbcglobal.net, or Kayla Shonberg, klashon4@gmail.com.
Book Club New Selection: Next Meeting February 20 -- Join us for a lively discussion at a member's home and bring a nosh to share! To RSVP and for location details, contact the office at admin@shir-hadash.org or (847)498-8218.
This month's selection is God's Gold: The Quest for the Lost Temple Treasures of Jerusalem. Archaeologist Dr. Sean Kingsley describes the modern-day quest for the priceless icons of the Jewish faith plundered from the great Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D.
Coffee House Night - Open Mic Style, February 22 -- It’s only One Month Away! Join us for a wonderful evening of live local talent, a club atmosphere with phenomenal sound, goodies, beverages, and the amazing evening of friendship and camaraderie. Be part of the Audience, be behind the scenes, or perform at our next Coffee House Night on Saturday, February 22.. If you are interested in performing or being behind the scenes and have not yet contacted Margie, please click on this link and follow the prompts. As you know, for every event, "it takes a village" to put on a successful show.
Register Today! Yom Tikkun Olam, February 23 -- A day for our congregation to repair the world. Yom Tikkun Olam, A Day of Repairing the World, will be an opportunity for our entire congregation to do activities that help the world. There will be projects for individuals, for families -- for everyone who wants to improve the world. In order to help us calculate needed supplies, please let us know if you will be joining us on Sunday, Februrary 23 to make the world a better place. Programs from 9:15am-12:30pm will occur at Shir Hadash, and there is an opportunity to play with shelter cats and see shelter dogs at Orphans of the Storm at 1:00pm. Click here for more information and registration.
Supplies and Monetary Donations Needed for Yom Tikkun Olam - Our synagogue-wide Day of Repairing the World requires a lot of supplies! Please consider donating supplies or making a monetary donation for their purchase. Sign up here to donate supplies or make a monetary contribution.
Trivia Night, February 29 -- Save the date for the 4th Annual Shir Hadash Family Trivia Night on Saturday, February 29 at 6:00 p.m. The event benefits the Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund, which is a need-based fund to assist children who otherwise would not be able to attend the Shir Hadash Religious School due to economic reasons. Trivia buffs - high school-aged and older - will enjoy this fast-paced, high energy, friendly competition! There will be six rounds of trivia with cash prizes for the top teams, plus a live auction and a 50/50 raffle! Pizza, soft drinks and bake sale items will be available for purchase. Free babysitting is available for children up to age 12 (tots must be potty-trained). Click here for online registration.
Special Auction Item! Check your calendars and come ready to bid on four choice aisle seat Cubs tickets! The game is against the Phillies on April 25 (2:20 start) in row 3 of section 226.
Voting Opens Soon for World Zionist Congress -- Every 5 years, elections are held throughout the Jewish world for the World Zionist Congress. The WZC then spends billions of dollars that make a big difference in Israel. This is your chance to register and VOTE!
Reconstructing Judaism recommends that you VOTE for the ARZA slate to best reflect our values! ARZA will advocate that WZC funds be spent to support religious pluralism and freedom in Israel, women’s equality at the Western Wall, Israeli environmental organizations, peacebuilding and democracy efforts, and LGBTQ rights in Israel. ARZA will also work with other progressive delegations to the WZC to prevent these funds from being spent on projects in the settlements.
Voting takes place online from January 21 to March 11, 2020 and will take less than 90 seconds to participate. If you are a US citizen or resident who is Jewish and at least 18 years old, click here and sign up for a Remind Me To Vote notice and easy instructions. Or you can write to votearza@gmail.com and ask for a reminder.
Save the Date, and Get Involved! Shir Hadash 25th Anniversary Gala, May 2 -- Planning is underway for our 25th Anniversary Gala on Saturday, May 2. The event chair is Ila Rothschild and we have a core committee in place. But we are forming subcommittees:
- Theme/Design/Invitations/Marketing: Nancy will do invitation printing and SC pages
- Decor/Giveaways: Nancy and Cindy
- Food/Entertainment: Ila Rothschild
- Program Book: Nancy will coordinate and assemble
- Event Program: Video, Speakers - chairperson needed
- Basket Auction: Chairperson needed
- Administration, RSVP, & Budget: Karen Burnham
SOCIAL ACTION
Thank You For Alleviating Starvation! A Note from a Resident of the Jewish Ugandan Community of Abayudaya -- Thank you to all who contributed tzedakah to support flood recovery for the Jewish Ugandan community of Abayudaya. Together, Shir Hadash and Or Shalom raised ~$650 to send food to the flood victims. Below is a note of appreciation from a resident of this community:
"We would love to let you know that we were able to receive the funds and we can't thank you enough for the support towards our people, these funds has come in a time of starving and indeed it has helped us purchase food for the victims and we can see some small smiles and hope in lives of the affected ones. . . At least we have good food which will move us for some 1 1/2 month.
We wish to thank the entire team of Shir Hadash and all the donors who have made this happen. We were able to purchase 1,100Kg of maize flour. We are sharing with you pictures while distributing food."
Australia Wildfire Assistance -- We've all seen the heartbreaking images and heard the staggering statistics about the Australian wildfires. A problem this huge needs all of the help they can get from everyone around the world. There are several reputable organizations where you can help displaced persons, injured animals, and the firefighting effort.
- Local fire departments: Victoria and New South Wales have been hardest hit. The Victoria fire department is welcoming donations at this link, while New South Wales fire department donations can be made by clicking here.
- Injured animals: WIRES is the New South Wales-based Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc., Australia's largest wildlife rescue organization. It requests donations to fund the rescue and care of animals affected by the fires. In December, WIRES received more than 20,000 calls and volunteers attended more than 3,300 rescues, according to the organization's website. All animal rescuers are volunteers. Learn more at wires.org.au.
- Displaced persons: The Australian Red Cross is supporting thousands of people in evacuation centers and recovery hubs. Learn more about where your money goes and donate at redcross.org.au. The American Red Cross is also accepting donations for bushfire relief efforts.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Twelve Tribes Bimah Panels: Only Three Panels Left to Dedicate! -- Celebrating our fifth anniversary in our building, our Twelve Tribes bimah ark 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. 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. The panel dedications will remain in perpetuity, or as long as the art remains in our sanctuary. (They will not expire in 18 years as originally stated.) 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 --The Continental Restaurant in Buffalo Grove, Butterfield’s Restaurant in Northbrook, and 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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