Shir Hadash Newsletter, October 11, 2013

What’s Happening at a Glance

Membership News and Upcoming Events

• Prospective Member Open House, October 24
• Jewish Western Movie Night: “The Frisco Kid”, October 19
• Dedication Video
• Book Club
• Dining for Dollars Fundraiser: Buffalo Wild Wings, October 24
• Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s

Creative Worship and Ritual

• Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, October 11

Volunteer Opportunities

• Committee for Prospective Member Open House
• Soup Kitchen Opportunity, November 10
• Office Help Needed
• Landscape Fall Clean Up, Sunday Mornings

Music Notes

• Religious School Music for Everyone
• Lights & Miracles – We Need You!
• Join the Lahaka
• New Hanukkah Music Suggestions

The Rabbi’s Corner

• “Renewing the Connection”

Education

• Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning Meetings

Teen News

• BBYO
• Madrichim

Community News

• Panel Discussion, "Forging Jewish Identity and Community," October 22

Jewish Cultural Events in Chicagoland

• Festival of Israeli Film, Now through October 13
• “Old Jews Telling Jokes”-- Shir Hadash outing November 17
• "Signs of Life"

Membership and Upcoming Events

Prospective Member Open House, October 24
Invite your friends to learn about Shir Hadash at our first Open House. 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. Want to help plan this special event? Scroll down to “Volunteer Opportunities” to find out how!

Jewish Western Movie Night and Discussion, October 19
Shir Hadash is hosting its first movie night on October 19. Beginning at 7:00pm, we will be showing “The Frisco Kid,” a Western comedy featuring Gene Wilder as Avram Belinski, a Polish rabbi who is traveling to San Francisco, and Harrison Ford as a bank robber who befriends him. Come join the fun and even bring your friends!  After the movie there will be a discussion about the Jewish themes in the movie.  Admission is free.  There will be a suggested donation for facilities overhead.  Popcorn and snacks will be available for purchase.  All proceeds will benefit Shir Hadash.

Dedication Video
Have you seen the beautiful video of our Dedication Celebration? Click here to re-live all the great moments, from the Torah procession through the Ceremony and the fantastic party afterwards. Keep the tissues handy! Many thanks to Jeff Wexler for producing this wonderful tribute to an unforgettable day in our community’s journey.

Book Club
Our next selection for the Shir Hadash Book Club is The Slave, by Isaac Bashevis Singer. This is the story of Jacob, a scholar sold into slavery in the aftermath of pogroms in Poland in the seventeenth century . He falls in love with a gentile woman and questions his faith. We will meet in early December—watch for details in future newsletters.

Dining for Dollars: Buffalo Wild Wings, October 24
On October 24th (all day) we will be having our October Dining for Dollars at Buffalo Wild Wings at 1018 Willow Road - Northbrook, IL. Bring in our flyer and 15% of your food purchases will benefit Shir Hadash. And if you buy a Buffalo Wild Wings gift card from SHOP Shir Hadash, we will benefit twice.

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

Shabbat Evening Service, Friday, October 11, 7:30pm
God’s call to Abram to go to the Land of Israel was a pivotal moment in our history.  For the past four thousand years the Land of Israel has been our people’s homeland and source of our spiritual and cultural identity.  This summer Lauren Bagby celebrated her bat mitzvah in Israel.  Our Shabbat service will honor Lauren and her life-changing journey with her family.  She will show a video of her trip and her bat mitzvah ceremony on Mount Masada, the last stronghold of the Jewish People against Rome.  The Romans are gone, but we are still here.  Come celebrate!  Please bring treats to share for the pot luck oneg refreshments. (Please note that there will be no children's program at this 2nd Friday service).

Volunteer Opportunities

Help Plan Our Prospective Member Open House
We are looking for a few volunteers to plan and execute our Prospective Member Open House on October 24. The event will be held at the synagogue so we can show off the building. Volunteers will hang “coffee shop” flyers, put notices on Patch.com (instructions provided), bring refreshments and paper goods to the event, and be there to greet prospective members and tell them why Shir Hadash is a great place to be.
If you would like to be involved in this very important project, please contact volunteer@shir-hadash.org and they will forward your information on to the membership.

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. 

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.

Enjoy Autumn’s Beauty – Join our Landscape Clean-Up Team!
Last Sunday, a group of Shir Hadash members destroyed the Buckthorn choking off our lovely Catalpa tree. A huge thank you to all of those who helped! We will be meeting this coming Sunday and every Sunday over the next month or so from 9:45 am-12:15 pm as we prepare our grounds for next spring. Please join us! Dress to get dirty. Bring gloves, and any gardening tools you may have. We are looking for a gas powered chain saw. No need to RSVP, but for any questions please contact Jodi Marvet atjlmarvet@comcast.net.

Music Notes – News and Ideas from our Music Director

Religious School Music – For Everyone to Enjoy
Every week in religious school we try to sing songs related to the weekly parasha. This week's parasha is Lekh Lekha, so last Sunday (and this coming Sunday) the songs include some of my favorites, like Sam Glaser's "Across the River." Here's a YouTube video of Sam singing the song with a children's chorus of 300!  Another related song is Debbie Friedman's (z"l) Lekhi Lakh.    
For parashat Noah last Shabbat, we sang "Sing a Song About a Rainbow" by Karen Daniel . Also, with the advent of the month of Heshvan, we sang another song by Karen Daniel, "Mar Cheshvan" in which we learn that, although poor Heshvan has no Jewish holidays, it has the best holiday of all -- Shabbat every week. "Mar" means bitter in Hebrew (as in "maror," the bitter herb at Pesakh) but as the song teaches, it also mean "Mister." Good old Mr. Heshvan can be proud of having the best holiday of all in it.

Light & Miracles - We Need You
Be sure to mark your calendars for our upcoming "Lights & Miracles" celebration service on Friday, November 22. Vocalists, instrumentalists, actors, comedians, dancers, jugglers, and artists of all kinds are invited to come and be a part of this very special evening. If you've a talent to share, contact Adrian at music.director@shir-hadash.org. Our youth will be learning songs in religious school so they can participate at Lights & Miracles, too. Plan to be there and join in the celebration as we give thanks, in the spirit of both Hanukkah and Thanksgiving.

Lahaka
We're always looking to welcome new members of Lahaka, the Shir Hadash adult choir. Come and sing with us! Rehearsals begin next Wednesday, October 16 at 7:30pm at Shir Hadash. If you're interested, contact Adrian at music.director@shir-hadash.org.

Hanukkah -- Some New Song Suggestions
It's never too soon to begin listening to Hanukkah songs, so here's a start:Michelle Citrin - Hanukkah Lovin' (may not be appropriate for young children) Tom Lehrer -Hanukkah in Santa Monica 
More to come as we get nearer to Hanukkah!

The Rabbi’s Corner

October 11-12, 2013 / 8 Heshvan 5774Shabbat Lech LechaTorah Portion: Genesis 12:1-17:27 / Haftarah Portion: Isaiah 40:27-41:16
“Renewing the Connection”
Dear Friends,Can you hear God’s call to Abram?  Four thousand years ago, the Torah tells us, God called to Abram and told him to leave his Mesopotamian home and family behind and go to a new land, the land of Canaan.  There Abram’s name would change to Abraham, he would raise his family, and become a great tribal chieftain.  Within only three generations, the region would be known as the Land of Israel.
It was in this land that our people’s identity would emerge.  David’s capital city of Jerusalem would be the very place where his son Solomon would build the First Temple.  The Land of Israel would be the place where the Torah stories were told in the marketplaces and synagogues of the villages and cities.  It would be the place where the prophets spoke their words of moral truth and ethical conduct.  Israel would be the place where the great Temple of Jerusalem, built by Herod, stood - considered to be the most magnificent building in the whole world at that time.  Israel was where the great rabbis argued and taught the lessons of the Mishah and Gemarah – The Talmud.  Israel would be the place of intense Jewish pride and independence witnessing the revolt of the Maccabees and two revolts against Rome.  Thought cast out into exile, our ancestors never lost connection to the land as they daily prayed to one-day return to the holy Land of Israel.  They knew that if they were not to merit the opportunity to return themselves, then soon some descendant of their family would return to the Land of Israel and walk the streets of Jerusalem, again.
Perhaps that person is you….
To read the rest of the Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website. 

Education

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning Meetings
Parents of 6th and 7th graders: here’s your chance to have your questions answered by Rabbi Eitan and our mitzvah maven Ruth Wallk! Come together for a brief and informative meeting with other parents in your child’s class.

• 7th Grade: Sunday, October 13, 11:30am
• 6th Grade: Sunday, October 20, 11:30am

Both meetings take place at Shir Hadash during Sunday School. Questions? Contact Education Director Emily Ascher, education@shir-hadash.org.

Teen News

BBYO, October 17
We are excited to announce our Shir Hadash BBYO chapter launch event: Thursday, October 17 from 7:00 to 8:30pm. All 8th-12th graders are invited to join us in the Teen Lounge for our very first chapter meeting. BBYO’s pluralistic movement of Jewish teens, alumni, parents, volunteers and philanthropists will serve as the Jewish community’s most valuable platform for delivering to the post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah audience fun, meaningful and affordable experiences that inspire a lasting connection to the Jewish people.

Click here to register with BBYO online; please select Shir Hadash as your chapter. See you on October 17!

Madrichim
Join us for our 1st meeting on Sunday, October 20th at 8:40 a.m. in the teen lounge.  Watch your e-mail for more information and the meeting agenda.

SHY Lounge, November 7,  7:00-8:30 p.m. 
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.

Adult Education

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Thursdays, noon-1:00pm in the Shir Hadash Kitchen/Cafe
Join 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 and Hebrew Reading at 10:45. Rooms at the synagogue TBA. For more information, contact Fred Andes, frederic.andes@btlaw.com.

Community Events

Panel Discussion: “Forging Jewish Identity and Community”, October 22
The Center for Jewish Law and Judaic Studies will present its 5th Annual Interdenominational Community Event, a panel discussion entitled “Forging Jewish Identity and Community in the Me Generation: Rabbinic, Institutional, and Parental Responses.” Noted scholars and community leaders will address the question of how to promote Jewish identity and social connection for the millennial generation. The event, including a dessert reception, takes on October 22 from 7:00 to 9:30pm at the the Chicagoland Jewish High School, 1095 Lake Cook Road in Deerfield. For more information, visit the JLJC website. 

Jewish Cultural Events in Chicagoland

Festival for Israeli Cinema
The Chicago Festival for Israeli Cinema continues through this Sunday, October 13. Films in a wide variety of genres are being screened at Northbrook Court and at venues in downtown Chicago. Visit the Festival’s website for more information or call 847-687-2126.

"Old Jews Telling Jokes" at the Royal George Theatre
This long-running Off-Broadway show will be playing at the Royal George Theatre from September 24 through January 26. Click here to visit the theatre’s website.   We are trying to organize a group to see the show on Sunday, November 17; if you are interested in joining us, please contact Meryl Abensohn ASAP at abenkras@aol.com.

“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.