Shir Hadash Newsletter, October 24, 2013

What’s Happening at a Glance

Membership News and Upcoming Events

• Prospective Member Open House, October 24 – TONIGHT!
• Dining for Dollars Fundraiser: Buffalo Wild Wings, October 24 – TODAY!
• SH Theatre Outing, November 17
• Book Club
• Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s

Creative Worship and Ritual

• No Services this Week
• “A Shabbat Sweet”, Friday, November 1

Volunteer Opportunities

• Soup Kitchen Opportunity
• Shir Hadash Supports PADS
• Office Help Needed
• Landscape Fall Clean Up

Music Notes

• Lights & Miracles
• Religious School Music
• Join the Lahaka
• More Hanukkah Music

The Rabbi’s Corner

• “To Do Instead of Merely to Pray”

Education

• Hebrew Homework Help
• Tzedakah
• Mark Your Calendars

Adult Ed

• Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
• Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes

Teen News 

• High School in Israel Information Meeting, November 3
• SHY Lounge, November 7
• BBYO, November 7
• Madrichim, November 10

Jewish Cultural Events in Chicagoland

•  “Old Jews Telling Jokes” – November 17
• ”Signs of Life”

Membership and Upcoming Events

Prospective Member Open House, October 24 – TONIGHT!Invite your friends! Our open house is a great opportunity to learn about Shir Hadash! They will have the chance to socialize with members, meet our Rabbi and Education Director, and find out what we’re all about. Join us on October 24 from 7:00 to 8:30 at the synagogue. 

Shir Hadash Theatre Outing: "Old Jews Telling Jokes" on November 17
Come share an afternoon of laughter with Shir Hadash friends at the Royal George Theatre production of “Old Jews Telling Jokes”.  (Scroll down to find the detailed description and links in “Jewish Cultural Events.”) We have a group rate of $53/person for the 2:00pm show on Sunday, November 17. Interested? Contact Meryl Abensohn, abenkras@aol.com, as soon as possible to reserve your seat.

Book Club
The SH Book Club had an energetic and engaging meeting in September.  Fourteen SH members discussed My Russian Grandmother and her American Vacuum Cleaner: A Memoir by Meir Shalev. We delved into info about the second and third Aliyahs to Palestine, and also shared our own European grandmothers’ and great-grandmothers’ cleaning habits. The discussion was so lively that many of us stayed til 11:00pm! Many thanks to Mickey Herbin for hosting.
Our next selection for the Shir Hadash Book Club is The Slave, by Isaac Bashevis Singer, the Yiddish story of a Jewish scholar  sold into slavery in 17th century Poland who falls in love with his gentile master's daughter. We will meet Thursday, December 5 at 7:30pm at the home of Rebecca Rice in Northbrook. Contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com for more information.

Hungry Before or After Religious School (or Anytime)?
The Continental Restaurant in Buffalo Grove or Butterfield's Restaurant in Northbrook permanently 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.  A great way to start or end Religious school!

Creative Worship and Ritual

No Services this Week
Enjoy celebrating Shabbat at home this week. We’ll see you back on Friday, November 1 (see below).

“A Shabbat Sweet” Service, November 1
Be sure to join us for a very special musical experience for Shabbat on Friday, November 1 at 7:30pm. We will be treated to “A Shabbat Sweet,” a unique service that combines ancient Jewish prayers with original melodies by Chicago musician (and JRC member) Billy Kaplan. Guest musicians and vocalists will join forces with Shir Hadash performers for a night everyone will enjoy. For more information about “A Shabbat Sweet,” visitwww.ashabbatsweet.com.

Volunteer Opportunities

Soup Kitchen Volunteers Needed
On Sunday, November 10th, Shir Hadash will be preparing, cooking and serving over 90 meals to needy individuals at the St Paul's Lutheran Church Soup Kitchen in Evanston.  This event will require volunteers to be available from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.  We need a minimum of 25 volunteers (about 10-12 families). There is no age limit to volunteer, but from past experience, kids should be at least 6 years old to fully participate.  Each family will be responsible for bringing an entrée that will feed 15 to 20 individuals, one gallon of milk, one gallon of orange juice, one large bag frozen mixed vegetables, one large bag of fruit (oranges, bananas, etc.) and dessert. 
If you are interested in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart before November 1st at mjlenhart@comcast.net. More information will be sent to all volunteers approximately one week before the event.  After this, the next opportunity to volunteer for the Soup Kitchen will be February 2014.

Shir Hadash Supports  PADS Shelters for the Homeless
The Shir Hadash Social Action Committee is excited to announce a new partnership with the PADS Shelter Program in Northern Cook County.  PADS provides hospitality, food, and overnight emergency shelter to the homeless between October 1 and April 30, seven days a week (including holidays).  Please visit their website to learn about the vital services PADS provides. 
Initially, Shir Hadash will be providing some portion of the food needed at the Tuesday PADS Site located at the Kingswood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove.  Our hope is that we can begin to get more involved with PADS and provide them with more food as well as onsite support and volunteer opportunities for our members. 
At this point, we are just collecting names of interested people who are willing and able to provide food once or twice a season, depending on the number of volunteers we get.  If you are interested in helping, please contact Mark Lenhart at mjlenhart@comcast.net for detailed information about food donations.  Once we have a list of interested volunteers, Maureen Rivkin will be coordinating and assigning volunteers as needed.  Thanks in advance for your support of this great organization!

Office Help Needed
Lillian could still use help in the Shir Hadash office on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for the next few weeks. If you have time to answer the phones and cover administrative tasks, please contact volunteer@shir-hadash.org to fill some time slots.

Join our Landscape Clean-Up Team!
The Landscaping Committee was at it again last weekend clearing out the Buckthorn and other overgrown areas under the large trees in the field directly to the east of our synagogue building. As the before and after shots show, in less than two hours five of us were able to clear out one of the trees. There are only two more trees left and we could finish up this weekend if we have just ten volunteers--we can do this! Please join us from 10am-12noon this Sunday. This is a UGIVE event which means your teenager can earn service hours if he or she attends. Contact Jodi Marvet at jlmarvet@comcast.net for more information.

Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director

Lights & Miracles
It's less than a month away now!  Our "Lights & Miracles" celebration service will be held at Our Lady of the Brook on Friday, November 22 at 7:30. Plan to be there and join in the celebration as we give thanks, in the spirit of both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.

Religious School Music
We've started to learn all sorts of Hanukkah songs, which we'll be singing at our Lights & Miracles service. I hope you're planning to bring your children to this special service so they'll be able to participate with their classmates in performing these songs.

Lahaka
We're always looking to welcome new members of Lahaka, the Shir Hadash adult choir. Come and sing with us! Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7:30pm at Shir Hadash. If you're interested, contact Adrian at music.director@shir-hadash.org.

The Rabbi’s Corner

October 25-26, 2013 / 22 Heshvan 5774Shabbat Chayei SarahTorah Portion: Genesis 23:1-25:18 / Haftarah Portion: I Kings 1:1-31
“To Do Instead of Merely to Pray”
Dear Friends,
I am always so impressed by Rebecca, the second matriarch of our Jewish tradition.  She wasn’t one to wait around for someone else to initiate.  She was a self-starter and one who could take matters into her own hands.
This week’s Torah portion opens with the death of Sarah, Isaac’s mother.  For whatever reason, Isaac was incapable of going out to seek a wife with whom to spend the rest of his life.  So, Abraham his father sent a servant to bring a wife from the ancestral home in Mesopotamia.  When the servant, Eliezer, reached his destination and approached a well to water his animals, it was Rebecca who showed up and took care of things.  In Rebecca Eliezer found a woman who had tenacity, assertiveness, and daring.  He also found a woman of great caring, sensitivity, and love.  When he told her of his mission to bring a wife for Isaac, she readily agreed to travel to Canaan to marry. The portion ends with Isaac’s marriage to Rebecca.Rebecca thus becomes a model of action and courage.  She is not one to wait around for something to happen.  Rather, she gets involved and makes things happen….
To read the rest of the Rabbi’s Corner, click here  to visit our website.

Education

Hebrew Homework Check!
Please make sure to read any notes from your child's teacher. Take a look in their bag, at that random sheet of paper on the front table, or what's left in the back seat of your car--it could be Hebrew homework.  While we don't want our students to become "stressed out" about Sunday school homework, we advise a level of consistency with their studies. If you have questions, please email one of our very pleasant-to-talk-to Sunday school teachers.

Tzedakah
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.Winston Churchill
Much to our Sunday school administrator Gloria Kaplan's chagrin, we have noticed a grand decline in our tzedakah collections. Please discuss with your child the value of giving tzedakah.  Tzedakah is collected every Sunday, and at the end of the school year the students will decide as a group where to donate their tzedakah money. Let's support our children in their efforts to give tzedakah, it's a mitzvah!

Mark Your Calendars
Nov. 4--Havayah
Nov. 15--Shabbat Services led by Gan-3
Nov. 18--Havayah
Nov. 22--Lights and Miracles at SH
Nov. 24—Hannukah at Sunday School
Dec. 1--NO SCHOOLDec. 2--Havayah
Dec. 22--NO SCHOOL
Dec. 29--NO SCHOOL
Jan 17--Shabbat Services led by 7th Grade
Feb.7-- Shabbat Services led by 4-6th Grades
Feb.16--NO SCHOOL (Kallah for 6th-12th Grades)
Mar. 15—Purim
Mar. 23--NO SCHOOL
Mar. 30--NO SCHOOL
May 11--NO SCHOOL
May 18-- Last day of school 

Teen News

High School in Israel Information Meeting for Teens and Parents
On Sunday, November 3rd from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the Teen Lounge, AMHSI Representative, Dana Klein will meet with us to talk about their programs for High School students.
Alexander Muss High School in Israel, known as HSI or AMHSI, is the only pluralist, non-denominational, co-educational English language study abroad program in Israel for high school students. AMHSI was founded in 1972 and boasts over 22,000 alumni. They provide teens the opportunity to spend part of the academic school year or summer in Israel during the sophomore, junior or senior year of high school on a fully accredited academic and fun experience, earning high school and college credit. Come hear about the programs offered from the midwest representative.

SHY Lounge
On Thursday, November 7th from 7-8:30 pm, come hear Shir Hadash senior Claire Marvet talk about the documentary Blood Brother, a powerful film about a young American who dedicates himself to working in an HIV/AIDS hostel for poverty-stricken children in India. Claire is hosting a special showing of the film on November 20th at the AMC Showplace in Vernon Hills, with proceeds benefiting the children of the hostel. Click here for details about the documentary and ticket information.
BBYO
Our very first meeting was a huge success!  Joining ten Shir Hadash teens were our regional directors, Marty & Celia, and four teens from other BBYO chapters. The teens chose a name: Ra'am (thunder) a mascot: Flash and will choose officers at our next meeting.  We need 12 members to make it official! Click here to sign up.  
Next meeting:  Thursday, November 7 @ 6:00: Pizza dinner and chapter elections.  Stay for the presentation by Claire Marvet about Blood Brother.
MadrichimNext meeting:  Sunday, November 10th at 8:40 am.

Adult Education

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Thursdays, noon-1:00pm in the Shir Hadash Kitchen/CafeJoin Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion.  Don’t be surprised if archaeology, sociology, contemporary world affairs as well as law, medicine, and business ethics enter the lively conversation as we plumb the deeper meanings of Judaism’s core text.  Participants are encouraged to share their views, questions, and opinions.  Each month, one of the class sessions will be devoted to the Chai Mitzvah curriculum.

Sunday Morning Adult Ed
Our Sunday adult discussion groups are getting underway! Join us this week for Torah and Philosophy at 9:45 with Fred Andes, followed by Hebrew Reading at 10:45 with Steve Lewin. Rooms at the synagogue TBA. For more information, contact Fred Andes, frederic.andes@btlaw.com.

Jewish Cultural Events in Chicagoland

"Old Jews Telling Jokes" at the Royal George Theatre – November 17
Join your Shir Hadash friends for this long-running Off-Broadway show playing at the Royal George Theatre. Click here to visit the theatre’s website. Shir Hadash is going to the show on Sunday, November 17 at 2:00pm. Our group rate is $53 per person. Contact Meryl Abensohn,abenkras@aol.com, for details.

“Signs of Life” at the Victory Gardens Theatre
A surprising, moving new musical, “Signs of Life” tells the true story of Terezin, a Czech military town that was transformed into a “model” Jewish ghetto. The captive residents, many of whom were artists and intellectuals, were forced to beautify their environment in an effort by the authorities to hide the true nature of the regime from the Red Cross and the International Community. Highly recommended! “Signs of Life” plays at Victory Gardens through October 27. Click here to visit the theatre’s website for more information.