Shir Hadash Weekly Newsletter, April 25, 2013

To view this blog in its entirety, go to www.shir-hadash.org.

What’s Happening at a Glance

Membership News and Upcoming Events  

• Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts
• April Book Club: Everything is Illuminated, April 25
• Shir Hadash Annual Meeting, May 5
• On the Way: New Membership Management Program

Education Update  

• Upcoming School Schedule
• Religious School Open House, April 28
• Yom Tikkun Olam Recap

Teen News  

• Madrichim Meetings, April 28 and May 5
• JUF Teen Engagement Fair Changed to April 28
• Murder Mystery Party with JRC, May 11

Creative Worship & Ritual  

• May 3 Shabbat: “Creating Room in God’s House: Judaism and Special Needs”

Adult Education  

• April 28: "The Rabbi Who Walked With Martin Luther King, Jr."

The Rabbi’s Corner: “Saving Lives”  

Community News  

• Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland
• JUF Israel Solidarity Day, April 28

Membership and Upcoming Events

Construction Update  On April 13, the Shir Hadash board signed a contract to officially hire as our architect the firm of Maemar PC, led by Shir Hadash member Mehran Farahmandpour.  The team is moving forward with bidding for construction of our Phase 1 plan for the synagogue.  
Sandi Schleicher will serve as liaison between Maemar PC and the membership/board of Shir Hadash.  If you have questions, comments, or concerns regarding the architecture or design, construction, the general contractor, sub-contractors, etc., please contact Sandi at finance@shir-hadash.org and he will address concerns with the architect, building committee, or GC as appropriate.   If you have ideas or skills to share, want to volunteer for a committee, or help with planning, managing, or maintaining the building or grounds, we would love to hear from you.  Please direct your good intentions to the chairman of the building steering committee, Marc Fargotstein (marcfargo@triangleconsulting.net).     

Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts  Celebrate our new home – and let your friends know you love Shir Hadash – with a  “Shalom to Our New Home” t-shirt! These white shirts have the graphic you see pictured here on the front, and our official logo on the back. They are available in men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes for $10. To order, contact Lisa McCulloh, 847-814-2922 or jjlisamc@gmail.com.  

Book Club  The next Book Club will be held TONIGHT, April 25 at 7:30pm, at the home of Stacy Laner, 1047 Shambliss Court, Buffalo Grove. The book will be Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. Whether you read the book, saw the recent production of the play at The Next Theatre, or viewed the movie with Elijah Wood, come and discuss it with us. There are many questions specific to the book and specific to life that will be entertained.Also we will have a guest coming with a connection to Trachimmbrod!!!!  
Please RSVP for the event this week. To RSVP or for more information, contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com  

Coming Soon: New Membership Management Program  Shir Hadash is planning to purchase a membership management package that will provide our members with online forms to simplify membership renewals and education signup, and also improve enrollment of volunteers for events.  Members will be able to maintain customized profiles for themselves and their family members, with the capacity to capture their Yahrzeit and lifecycle events in one place.  Please look for future announcements about these new services in the next few weeks and months. If you have questions, please contact Jeff Wallk at president@shir-hadash.org or Lise Schleicher at info@basketworks.biz.   

Education Update

Upcoming Events at School  Sunday, April 28-- Sunday School, Prospective Member Open House  Monday, April 29--Havayah BBQ at David Anes's House  Sunday, May 5-- Last day of Sunday school  

Religious School Open House  Do you have any friends who are shopping around for a religious school for their children? If so, please invite them to our Religious School Open House on Sunday, April 28, at 11:30. Be sure to tell them about our fantastic, innovative once-a-week school – not to mention our beautiful new building. For more information, contact Education Director Emily Ascher at eddirector@shir-hadash.org.  

Yom Tikkun Olam: A Day to Repair the World  
On Sunday, April; 21st, about 25 families joined together for Shir Hadash’s 8th annual Yom Tikkun Olam (Day to Repair the World).

Families chose projects to help the elderly, the environment, the soldiers, teachers who need books for inner city classrooms, and those who are in general need.  Locations ranged from Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield and Chicago.  
Participants made kosher gift bags and cards for Jewish soldiers, played bingo and schmoozed with the seniors at Gidwitz, planted trees at The Grove, and brought food and toiletries to The Ark in Chicago. They also donated books and clothing.  
  
The planning for Yom Tikkun Olam started many months ago.  The amount of work involved in making it happen was way more than any of us on the education committee anticipated.  With the help of  the committee and in particular, Emilee McArdle, Dawn Allen, and 7th grade teacher, Judith Kleinman,  we were able to put together a day that not only helped heal the world, but that brought our community together.  Next year we look forward to housing many activities in our building.  

Thank you to everyone involved!  If you would like to volunteer to serve on the 2013 – 2014 Yom Tikkun Olam committee, please contact Education Director Emily Ascher at eddirector@shir-hadash.org.  

Teen News

Teen Engagement Fair, April 28  Note: New Date, Time & Place! The JUF Teen Engagement Fair will now be part of Israel Solidarity Day on THIS SUNDAY, April 28. This is a great event for 7^th and 8^th graders and their families to show you how Jewish life really begins AFTER your b’nai mitzvah, with travel opportunities, organizations, programs and more. Plus they’ll have raffles, information, and lots of other activities. To learn more and RSVP, visit http://juf.org/teen.  Scroll down to “Community News” for detailed info on JUF’s Israel Solidarity Day.  

Madrichim   We will have 2 more meetings this year!  Meet on Sunday, April 28th at 8:45 a.m. to talk about the Open House event scheduled for Sunday School on April 28th.   We will also meet on Sunday, May 5th to review the year.    

Teen Event with JRC  8^th to 12^th Graders: You are invited to a MURDER MYSTERY DINNER. Will you be the witness, the victim or even the killer? 

We will join the 8th-12th graders at JRC to participate as the drama unfolds around us. We will also enjoy a feast from Pita Inn while we solve the mystery.  Details--
Date: Saturday, May 11th   Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Place: JRC, 303 Dodge, EvanstonR.S.V.P. required: youth@shir-hadash.org We have a limited number of places available, so please R.S.V.P. A.S.A.P!

Just Announced:  Fountainheads concert!  Chicagoland Jewish High School1095 Lake Cook Road, DeerfieldTuesday, April 30th @ 7pm
Tickets are $5/advanced and $10/door
To purchase in advance (recommended) visit: cfje.wufoo.com/forms/foundtainheads-concert.
Don't miss the experience of being with young Israeli singers, dancers, and musicians, all of whom are either students or graduates of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership. The Institution, located just outside Jerusalem, is a unique forum for developing young minds that brings together Jews from all backgrounds for a course of study that turns them into a new generation of Zionist leaders. Their material is primarily pop songs with lyrics centering around the theme of a specific holiday. Attractive, fresh-faced, wholesome and fun-loving, they convey a positive image and clear lyrics conveying Jewish content that feels like a sort of contemporary Jewish "Free to be You and Me." The Fountainheads have succeeded in creating a sort of video midrash that has made their material a useful educational aide in the classroom. Their performance is engaging and appropriate for audiences of all ages, including children, young families, and teens.

Creative Worship & Ritual

May 3: Service: “Creating Room in God’s House: Judaism and Special Needs”
On Friday, May 3, our Shabbat service (7:30 at the synagogue, 200 West Dundee in Wheeling) will include a program that fits closely with Shir Hadash’s basic themes of community and caring.  First, we will watch a moving (but brief) video documentary by Ilana Trachtenberg, filmmaker of the stirring movie Praying with Lior (which we have watched on Selichot). the video addreses efforts of a mosque, a church, and a synagogue to open the worship experience to individuals and families with special needs. Following the screening, Shir Hadash members with personal and professional experience in the world of special needs will engage the community through a panel discussion. We are confident that all members of the community will find this program to be both fascinating and powerful. Don’t miss it – and don’t forget to bring something for the oneg!

Adult Education

Adult Ed: Study the Rabbi Who Walked with Martin Luther King
This week in Adult Ed (9:30 on Sunday at Hellenic), we continue our discussion of modern Jewish thinkers, with one who connects to events that many of us remember.  Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel walked with Reverend King - something that Heschel referred to as "praying with my legs."  He combined this concern for social justice with a profound Jewish faith in God and His world.  How else could he say this: "I say that this world in itself is so fascinatingly mysterious, so challengingly marvelous, that not to realize that there is more than I see, that there is endlessly more than I can express or even conceive, is just being underdeveloped intellectually."  And there is even a story about him and Santa Claus.  Don't you want to learn more about Rabbi Heschel now?  Well, come to class on Sunday... And before you do (or even if you can't make it), you HAVE to check out this collection ofgreat Heschel quotes .  See you Sunday!

The Rabbi’s Corner

April 26-27, 2013 / 17 Iyar 5773Day 32 of the Omer Shabbat EmorTorah Portion:  Leviticus 21:1-24:23 / Haftarah Portion: Ezekiel 44: 15-31
“Saving Lives”Dear Friends,
Kol Hakavod – All Honor to Ken and Dan Hechtman – true heroes of our Chicago Jewish community.  The brothers are co-owners of Ken’s Diner, a great kosher hot dog and burger restaurant on Dempster in Skokie.  On Sunday evening they witnessed a terrible truck and car collision on the Edens Expressway that erupted in flames as gas tanks ruptured and tires exploded.  Despite the heat and the flames, both stopped traffic and ran towards the wreck to help.  They saved the lives of everyone in the crash.
What a story!  What an inspiration!  Two Jewish men put their own lives at risk to save the lives of others.  For me, this is all about responding to the call of duty whenever it is heard.  It is about acting in the service of others….
To read the rest of The Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website.

Community News

Israel Solidarity Day

JUF is hosting its annual Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration at the 2013 Israel Solidarity Day, which will be held on Sunday, April 28th at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park.  Event highlights will include the Walk with Israel, fabulous all-day entertainment in Ravinia’s Pavilion featuring the King David Drummers, The Maccabeats and Matisyahu - acoustic, food for purchase and festivities for all ages.The day’s agenda is as follows:
10:00 a.m. Teen J-Serve Project* (on site)11:00 a.m. Registration opens11:30 a.m. King David Drummers12:15 p.m. The Maccabeats1:00 p.m. Israel Solidarity Day Kickoff Rally1:15 p.m. Three-Mile Walk with Israel & One-Mile Family Walk2:30 p.m. King David Drummers3:00 p.m. Matisyahu - acoustic4:00 p.m. Program concludes
* 8th to 12th graders are invited to participate in a city-wide service project.
For detailed information and registration, visit the JUF website.

Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ JewsIs your child gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, or questioning? Do you want to talk to other Jewish families with LGBTQ children? If so, join the monthly discussions with Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland. Upcoming meetings will be held on May 20. Upcoming topics will include: transgender youth; passing--who knows, who doesn’t know; navigating a hetero-sexist world; healthy relationships and violence in the GLBTQ community; and conversation about creating inclusive communities.
With support from Keshet, Response provides group support for those dealing with any stage of the coming out process. Response helps adolescents in the Jewish and general community develop skills in communication, decision-making and leadership necessary to deal with life’s challenges. Response is a program of JCFS, a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation.