Shir Hadash Weekly Newsletter, May 23, 2013

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE

Membership News and Upcoming Events

• Building Update
• Landscaping Meeting, May 25
• Fundraising Committee: Contest Entries and Volunteers Needed
• Pizza Fundraiser, June 12
• Celebrating Summer Jewish Experiences, June 7
• Book Club, July 11
• Save the Date: Synagogue Dedication, August 18
• Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts

Creative Worship & Ritual

• Upcoming Service, May 31 

Adult Education

• Thursday Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, May 23

The Rabbi’s Corner

• "What am I Complaining About?"

Community News

• Theatre Recommendation: “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” 
• Oklahoma Disaster Aid: A Letter from National Reconstructionist Leadership

NEW! Accomplishments

MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Building Update

There's been a lot of action with regards to the building though you can't see much of it.  Thanks to Housh's Construction Company, the building has been cleared!  All of the furniture, equipment, and such that we acquired with the building has been moved out and into storage PODs in the parking lot or into other areas of the building where they will be protected during construction.  Areas of the building are being sealed off with plastic to prevent dust from getting everywhere.  Many of the subcontractors are on site this week and demolition should be in progress as you read this.

The Landscaping Committee has been meeting with vendors and finalizing the Phase 1 plans.  If you'd like to give input or participate in the landscaping committee please contact Stacy Laner (stacy.laner@gmail.com) or Rachel Siegel (rschicksiegel@gmail.com). (See below for info on the upcoming Landscape Committee meeting.)

A Security Committee may be in the midst of forming.  Rachel Siegel met on site with a member of the Wheeling police department this week for a Vulnerability/Risk Assessment.  Several grants are being looked at to possibly improve security at the building, including from the Department of Homeland Security.  If you have an interest in participating in a Security Committee, please contact Marc Fargotstein (marcfargo@att.net) or Rachel Siegel (rschicksiegel@gmail.com).

Very soon it will be much easier to identify the building as being a Jewish Synagogue and specifically Shir Hadash.  The Building Committee has been working very hard for the past two weeks on designing the signage for the building with input from professional graphic designers, professional sign companies, and many of our members.  We hope to have our new signage up on the building in the next two to three weeks.

At the recommendation of the ERC (Employee Relations Committee), the Board decided to hire on Don Johnson, Saul Pina, and Jacob Cutts, who are all employees of RAILS, to be part-time employees of Shir Hadash to help maintain and clean the interior and exterior of the building and landscape.  Please wish them a warm welcome to the Shir Hadash family when you see them!

The Interior Design Committee has been hard at work.  They put in a bid for furniture and equipment from Beth Am in Buffalo Grove to secure furnishings at very discounted costs.  A quick review was conducted of all furnishings and equipment we acquired with the building to pre-sort what could be reused in the building prior to moving everything into the PODs.  The first interior design committee meeting was to be held on May 22.  However, since this is being written on May 21 and our crystal ball is locked up in one of the PODs, we can’t tell you what will happen or what already happened, or, nevermind.  Even if you couldn’t make this first meeting, everyone is welcome to come and participate in future meetings, please e-mail Deborah Newberger at izzyhome@aol.com or Marc Fargotstein at marcfargo@att.net.

Landscaping Committee, May 25

The Landscaping Subcommittee is meeting this Saturday, May 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to jumpstart our landscape planning initiatives. We will meet outside the building to walk the area. (If the weather is bad, we'll move the meeting to the closest Starbucks after we walk the grounds.)

Meeting Objectives:

• Walk the grounds
• Overview/Updates on Phase 1, 2 and 3 plans / priorities / next steps
• Fundraising / grants / creative funding sources
• Designate focus areas for each committee member to leverage members' strengths and interests
• Next steps

Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact Stacy Laner at stacy.laner@gmail.com or Rachel Siegel at rschicksiegel@comcast.net.

Fundraising Committee: Contest Entries and Volunteers Needed

The Fundraising Committee is looking for a creative name/slogan for our new Restaurant Fundraising initiative.  Under this program, restaurants volunteer to donate a portion of the proceeds from Shir Hadash members on a specified day during a month.  Our first effort at Roti in Northbrook was a success.  We plan on having one restaurant a month.  So send your suggestions for a fun name that conveys the combination of food, fun and fundraising.  Send suggestions to Glenn Graff at nflsunday@aol.com.  The winner will receive a gift card from Shop Shir Hadash.  And if you like picking the occasional restaurant or helping plan a party or other event, or you are just bubbling over with fundraising ideas, let Glenn know.  The Fundraising Committee is looking both for ideas and for additional members to join us in planning some FUNdraising.

Pizza Fundraiser, June 12

The next restaurant fundraiser will be at Lou Malnati’s in Buffalo Grove on June 12.  Mark it on your calendar!  Flyers will be distributed by email and also will be available on our website.  Let's bring in a Shir Hadash crowd and enjoy catching up during the summer while participating in Lou Malnati’s Dough for Dough program.  20% of money spent by Shir Hadash members and friends will be donated to Shir Hadash.

Celebrating Jewish Summer Experiences, June 7

Do your plans for the summer include special Jewish experiences? Maybe your kids are attending a Jewish camp, or you’re planning a family trip to Israel? If so, we want to honor you at the June 7 service! Please email Rabbi Eitan (rabbi@shir-hadash.org) or Education Director Emily Ascher (eddirector@shir-hadash.org) to let us know.

Book Club

The next book club will meet on Thursday, July 11 at the home of the Zwick family, 385 Castlewood Lane in Deerfield. The book will be The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolam. This true story helps to give insight into the Palestinian-Israeli conundrum. For more info about our book club, contact Meryl Abensohn,abenkras@aol.com.

Save the Date: Synagogue Dedication, August 18

While making your summer plans, be sure to save the date for the dedication of our beautiful synagogue on Sunday, August 18! Details are still being worked out so watch future newsletters and emails for updates. If you have any questions and/or would like to help, contact Melanie Andes (fmandes@comcast.net) or Marc Fargotstein (marcfargo@att.net).

Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts

Show off your love for Shir Hadash! White, 100% cotton t-shirts proclaiming "Say Shalom to Our New Home" are available in men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes for $10. To order, contact Lisa McCulloh, 847-814-2922 or jjlisamc@gmail.com.

CREATIVE WORSHIP & RITUAL

Upcoming Service: Friday, May 31, 2013 (7:30 PM/200 W Dundee) --Shabbat Shlach Lecha “5th Friday / Learner’s Service”

Why are the prayers in a special order?  Does the order really matter?  What do the prayers really mean, anyway?  Why do we say some and sing some?  Why do we stand for some and sit for others?  At our special 5th Friday Learner’s Service, any and every question is welcome.  We will move through the service stopping whenever a hand goes up with a question. Rabbi Eitan will explain and discuss the fascinating fine points and open our understanding to the architecture, wisdom and beauty of the Jewish liturgy.  Bring questions and a great treat to share at the pot-luck oneg refreshments!

ADULT EDUCATION

Lunch & Learn: Thursday Torah Study with Rabbi Eitan

Join Rabbi Eitan and fellow Shir Hadash members for an exciting hour of Torah study, brown bag lunch, and lively discussion.

Meeting Place:  The Shir Hadash office, 3340 Dundee Road in Northbrook

Time: 12 noon - sharp

This week's portion: Numbers, Numbers, Chapter 10:11-11:35, Discussion Topic: “Of Rebels and Prophets”

THE RABBI’S CORNER

May 24-25, 2013 / 16 Sivan 5773

Shabbat Beha’alotecha

Torah Portion:  Numbers 8:1-12:16 / Haftarah Portion: Zecharia 2:14-4:7

“What Am I Complaining About?”

Dear Friends,

So my children, Ayal and Elana, are both young adults and living at home for the next two months.  This week they invited me to join them on a quick one-night camping trip.  “It will be a great time!  We’ll sit at the campfire and talk all night, Abba.”  What parent can say ‘no’ to that?  So, late in the day, we packed the car and headed to Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine South State Park.  The weather prediction was perfect – high pressure, clear sky and warm.  It doesn’t get better than that, until it started drizzling and then raining just as dinner was ready.  Rain?!  The weather report did not mention rain – and we did not bring our rain gear.  Rain?! Who said anything about rain. Oy gevalt!

So here I am, with my precious and beloved children beside me, and all I can do is complain about the drizzle and the rain and how much it upsets me. Which is precisely when I remembered this week’s Torah portion, Beha’alotecha. …

To read the rest of The Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Theatre Recommendation: “The Pianist of Willesden Lane"

Now playing at the Royal George Theatre through May 25

Set in Vienna in 1928 and in London during the Blitzkreig, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” tells  the true noted pianist and author Lisa Jura, as performed by her own daughter Mona Golabek. When Lisa is sent on the Kindertransport to London to protect her from the Nazi regime, everything about her life is upended except her love of music and her pursuit of her dreams. Tribune Critic Chris Jones praised the production, saying, "The simple act of Golabek sitting down at the Steinway piano is...enough to make your mouth fall open with a certain wonder at the way of the world." Don’t miss it!

Click here to visit the Royal George Theatre site for more information.

Oklahoma Disaster Aid: A Letter from National Reconstructionist Leadership

Shir Hadash Members,

The destruction caused by the tornado in Moore, OK has been overwhelming.  The devastation and loss has touched many of our hearts as have the incredible stories of survival.  We grieve with our fellow citizens at the loss of so much.  It is a humbling reminder of the fragility of life.  Many of us will want also to reach out and express our common bonds and assist in offering relief and eventually the rebuilding of this community as a gesture of comfort and hope that life continues even as we mourn our losses.   We are called to help however we are able.

For those of us who would like contribute to the relief efforts here are some opportunities:

1.      The Jewish Federations of North America has opened a Oklahoma Relief Fund to gather aid from across the Jewish community for the victims of the devastating tornado that tore through the Oklahoma City area on May 20. Funds raised will support relief efforts of the Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City. One hundred percent of funds donated will go to the local Federation and its relief efforts on the ground. Click here to make donations on their website.

 2.      The Red Cross requested donations be given to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which helps provide food, shelter and emotional support to those affected by disasters, by visiting http://RedCross.org, dialing 1-800-RED-CROSS or texting "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation.  

3.      Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma: Donations of items such as clothing and supplies are strongly discouraged. Monetary donations can be made at http://RegionalFoodBank.org or text "FOOD" to 32333 to donate $10. 

We join with those all around our country who pray with and for the people of central Oklahoma, that they may find the healing, the strength and the consolation to grieve such an incredible loss, to face what lies ahead and to rebuild and repair their lives and their homes.

Rabbi Joshua Lesser, Chair, Tikkun Olam Commission of RRC

Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Director, Tikkun Olam Commission, RRC

Rabbi Jason Klein, President, RRA

Rabbi Richard Hirsh, Executive Director, RRA

David Roberts, Chair, Board of Governors

Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, President, RRC

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

If you know of a special accomplishment by a Shir Hadash member, give them some recognition In this new section of our newsletter! Send info to Carolyn Gessner, gessnermom@hotmail.com.

Mazel Tov to:

Nate Elfant, who earned top five honors in the Illinois State High School Gymnastics Championship

Liat Wasserman, who was named PE/Wellness 8^th Grade Student of the Quarter at Maple Middle School