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Health & Fitness

Shir Hadash Newsletter, April 17, 2014

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE


Membership News and Upcoming Events
  • New: Dining for Dollars Fundraiser at Dengeo’s , April 25
  • “Israel in a Shifting Middle East” AIPAC Presentation, April 29
  • Annual Meeting, May 18
  • Book Club, May 1 (Note New Date)
  • Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund
  • Save the Date: JUF Fundraising Brunch, June 1
  • Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s
Creative Worship and Ritual
  • Shabbat Service: Friday, April 18, 7:30pm
  • Upcoming Services
Volunteer Opportunities
  • Evanston Soup Kitchen, April 27
The Rabbi’s Corner
  • “Upstanders Against Terror
Music Notes
  • A Little Post-Seder Fun
  • Lahaka Adult Choir
Education
  • Visit the Education Director’s Blog -- Great Yom Tikkun Olam Photos!
Teen News
  • Shir Hadash Ra’am BBYO Announcements: Dessert Seder, Social Events, Meetings and More
Adult Ed
  • Crash Course in Basic Judaism
  • Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
  • Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
Wellness Section
  • This Week’s Wellness Tip: Think "Fruit First"

MEMBERSHIP AND UPCOMING EVENTS

New: Dining for Dollars Fundraiser, April 25We have an April “Dining for Dollars” fundraising opportunity at Dengeo's restaurant in Buffalo Grove and Skokie! Come just down the road from our Synagogue and join our Community for some food and fundraising. Come in anytime on Monday April 25, mention Shir Hadash , and 20% of your purchase will be donated to Shir Hadash.  No flyer needed, just mention Shir Hadash!  Visit either location: 195 W. Dundee Rd, Buffalo Grove (just west of Buffalo Grove Rd.) or 3301 W. Main St., Skokie.

“Israel in a Shifting Middle East” AIPAC Presentation,  April 29
Each day, the headlines usher in serious and unprecedented challenges that affect Israel’s security and U.S. interests – from Iran’s nuclear ambitions to the upheaval in Egypt, Syria, and beyond. Join us for a discussion on a region in turmoil, action on Capitol Hill aimed at addressing these issues, and why the United States and Israel are safer, stronger and better together.   AIPAC's Midwest Synagogue Initiative Director will be coming to Shir Hadash to address these key issues and answer questions.  The program begins at 7:00 PM.   Contact Burton Kopulsky at (847) 291-7846 or oct13@ameritech.net for more information. 

Shir Hadash Annual Meeting, May 18
The Shir Hadash 2014 annual meeting will be held on Sunday, May 18 at 9:3- to 11:30, in the synagogue sanctuary. (Since that is also the last day of Religious School for the year, the meeting will be followed at 11:30 by the annual School Assembly.)  We will have a very full agenda, including:
  • Budget & Two-Year Plan Updates
  • Land Sale Update
  • Plans & Goals for Next Year
  • Board Nominees’ Presentations
  • Voting on Board Positions & Budget
Please plan to attend this important meeting of our entire community.

Save the Date: JUF Fundraising Brunch, June 1
Shir Hadash will be hosting our first ever JUF fundraising event on Sunday, June 1, at 10 am .The JUF funds a vital network of agencies that do the important work of caring for people in need around the world and here in Chicagoland, and also of nurturing the Jewish community. Now that we finally have a home of our own, it is time for us to take our place in the Chicagoland synagogue community and help support the JUF. Our guest speaker will be David Rubovits, Senior Vice President of Planning and Allocations for the JUF/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Please mark your calendars and spend an hour with us eating brunch and enjoying being a part of the Jewish community. For more information, contact Rachel Schick-Siegel, rschicksiegel@comcast.net

Book Club, May 1 
Our next book will be Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of my Hasidic Roots, by Deborah Feldman. Our meeting date has been changed to May 1.Everyone is invited to join us at the Zwick family home, 385 Castlewood Lane in Deerfield. For more information, contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.

Scholarship Fund
We are thrilled to announce the creation of the Samuel I. Andes Scholarship Fund, a need-based fund for children whose families cannot afford to pay for their Jewish education at Shir Hadash.
Our congregation strongly believes that all of our children should be able to attend our religious school and become Bar or Bat Mitzvah, even when financial circumstances make it difficult for their families to afford religious school tuition. Melanie and Fred Andes have created this fund in memory of Fred’s great-uncle Samuel I. Andes, who was a staunch advocate of education, both religious and secular, and have graciously offered to match all donations to the fund up to $11,000.00.
Please help your Shir Hadash community reach this fantastic goal by making as generous a donation to this fund as you can.   You can donate online by clicking here http://sh.shulcloud.com/samuel-i-andes-scholarship-fund.html, or by mailing a check to Shir Hadash, 200 West Dundee Road, Wheeling, IL 60090. (Make out checks to Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue and write “Scholarship” on the memo line.)
Many thanks to Melanie and Fred for creating this wonderful tribute, and to all of you who support this effort!

Hungry Before or After Religious School (or Anytime)?
The Continental Restaurant in Buffalo Grove or Butterfields 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, April 18, 7:30pmShabbat Hol HaMo’ed Pesach"Living in Two Civilizations – What does Paul Revere’s Ride have to do with the Exodus?”

Upcoming Services:
Last Day of Passover Service and Yizkor Memorial Service, Monday, April 21, 10:00am to noon
“Pausing in the Wilderness”, Friday, April 25, 7:30pmDon’t miss our very special interactive and experiential service, “Pausing in the Wilderness: Relive the Trek from Egypt to Mount Sinai… and Along the Way, Discover your Jewish Identity.”  This is a wonderfully unique Shir Hadash tradition. Please bring wilderness-style dessert treats for our oneg refreshment feast.
Shabbat Morning Service, Saturday, April 26, 9:30amWe will celebrate the B’nai Mitzvah of Sari & Justin Stark, children of Randi & Steven Stark


VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Evanston Soup Kitchen, April 27
On Sunday, April 27, we 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 milk, one gallon 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 at mjlenhart@comcast.net before April 18.Thanks!

THE RABBI’S CORNER

April 18-19, 2014 / 19 Nisan 5774 / Day 4 of the OmerShabbat Chol HaMo’ed PesachTorah – Exodus 33:12-34:26 / Haftarah – Ezekiel 37:1-14
“Upstanders against Terror”
Dear Friends,We are all shocked and saddened by the tragic loss of life resulting from this week's shootings at the Jewish Community Center and Village Shalom Retirement Community in Overland Park, Kansas. Unfortunately, this is another example of the senseless violence against innocent lives amongst the Jewish people and all the peoples of the earth.  While it appears that the shooter, a long-time KKK leader, was trying to kill Jews, all three of his victims were in fact Christian.
We at Shir Hadash have a strong connection to the Kansas City Jewish community.  Our third Torah scroll, which survived the Holocaust, came to us as a donation from the Shir Hadash congregation of Overland Park, Kansas.  I have reached out to them on behalf of our synagogue to offer our prayers and words of comfort and support.  We all feel this tragedy deep in our hearts.
This week, as we celebrate our annual festival of liberation from Egyptian bondage, we are profoundly reminded that there is still so much work to be done in the pursuit of true deliverance for all from acts of terror here and abroad….
To read the rest of the Rabbi’s Corner on our website, click here.  http://www.shir-hadash.org/rabbis-corner/

MUSIC NOTES – NEWS AND IDEAS FROM OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR

A Little Post-Seder FunYou've probably seen it but here's my favorite after Seder video: 20 Things To Do WithMatzah 

Lahaka (Adult Choir)Come Join Us - We're Already Looking Forward to High Holidays!Our adult choir, Lahaka is meeting regularly on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month at 7:30pm. If you like to sing and be part of a warm, friendly, fun-loving group come join us.Be on the lookpout for information on our summer and High Holidays rehearsal schedule. We will be starting to learn new and review old repertoire for High Holidays right after Passover, so come join us in May as we begin our work to prepare for a meaningful musical Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. For more information contact Adrian Durlester, music.director@shir-hadash.org

EDUCATION

Visit the Education Director’s BlogEducation Director Emily Ascher’s blog has news about everything happening at Shir Hadash Religious School. This week’s edition includes a photo-filled recap of our wonderful Yom Tikkun Olam Family Day of Service. Click here to see it.  

TEEN NEWS

Teen Dessert Seder, Tonight! (April 17), 7:00pm at Shir Hadash.
Come join your friends for a traditional yet creative dessert seder. Share your favorite treats while we experience a new way to tell an ancient story! There is no charge for this event sponsored by the Ra’am BBYO group. All 8th-12th graders are welcome (you don’t have be a BBYO member to come).

Havdalah with Ra’am BBYO, May 10
All 8th to 12th graders are invited to our teen-led Havdalah service at 7:00pm on Saturday, May 10. End Shabbat and begin the new week with friends from all over the Great Midwest BBYO region. You don’t need to belong to BBYO to come and experience our “camp” service. Everyone loves Saturday night! (We’ll hold this event outdoors, weather permitting.)

Stand Up Event for Ra’am BBYO, May 18
Chapter members and friends: join us for a fun program to spread the awareness of inclusion. Learn the importance of accepting other and being kind in everyday life. Meet at Shir Hadash on May 18 from 7:00-8:30pm.

Ra’am Board Meeting, May 1.
The Ra’am BBYO Chapter Board’s next meeting is Thursday, May 1 at 7:00pm at Shir Hadash.

Yom Tikkun Olam Recap
SH teens had a great time at Yom Tikkun Olam on April 12. We led part of the Kickoff singalong, and then hosted a Passover baking session where we made tasty desserts with junior high students. We hope those younger students will want to be Ra’am BBYO members down the road. Thanks to everyone who helped make the day a success!

ADULT EDUCATION

NEW! Crash Course in Basic Judaism
Monday evenings  (4/28, 5/26, and 6/9), 8:00 to 9:30 p.m.Taught by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-KaplowThere are three sessions still to come in the Rabbi’s crash course, exploring topics like Belief in God, Prayer, The Shabbat, Jewish Observance and Sexuality. Participants will learn the basics of Judaism and receive a free copy of the Companion Guide chock-full of thought-provoking, extra-curricular reading to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the depth and breadth of Judaism. This program is presented in conjunction with the National Jewish Outreach Project. All are welcome: members and non-members, Jews and non-Jews, family and friends. Click here to view our program flyer. http://www.shir-hadash.org/website/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Crash-Course-in-Basic-Judaism-flyer.pdf

Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Join Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing and contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion.  This informal group meets on Thursdays from noon to 1:00 in the Shir Hadash Kitchen/Café. All are welcome.

Sunday Morning Adult Ed
Join us for Torah and Philosophy at 9:45 with Fred Andes, followed by Hebrew Reading at 10:45 with Steve Lewin. For more information, contact Fred Andes, frederic.andes@btlaw.com.

WELLNESS SECTION

This Week’s Wellness Tip –  Fruit First!
Got a late-night sugar craving that just won't quit? To satisfy your sweet tooth without pushing yourself over the calorie edge, even in the late night hours, think, “fruit first.”
Many thanks to SH member Jennifer Dumrauf for her wellness tips. Watch future issues for more great ideas!
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