Shir Hadash Newsletter, September 12, 2013

What’s Happening at a Glance

Special High Holidays Edition, Part 2
Creative Worship & Ritual

• Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur Schedules
• Special Note for Family High Holidays Services
• Upcoming: Sukkot and Simchat Torah 

Membership News and Upcoming Events

• Update Your Online Membership Info
• Book Club
• Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield’s

Volunteer Opportunities

• Lend a Hand for the Holidays
• Time to Build the Sukkah!
• Simchat Torah: Pizza Party Prep
• Offfice Help Needed

The Rabbi's Corner

• Yom Kippur Greetings from the Rabbi

School News

• First Day: September 22!

Teen News

• BBYO
• Madrichim

Community News

• Response Family and Parent Connection
• American Diabetes Association “Step Out” Walk
• Employment Opportunity 

Creative Worship and Ritual

Kol Nidrei and Yom Kippur – Service Schedule
The High Holidays are our “annual convention”–a gathering of our entire Shir Hadash  community to meet, study, reflect, pray, and affirm our readiness to repair our lives and our world in the coming year. Our services are moving, exciting, meaningful and very participatory.

Our services this year are held at:Shir Hadash Synagogue (“SH”), 200 W. Dundee Road in Wheelingand Our Lady of the Brook, (“OLB”), 3700 Dundee Road in Northbrook
This week, the following services are open to Shir Hadash members and to ticket holders:

• Kol Nidrei, Friday, September 13, 6:15 to 8:00pm (at OLB)
• Yom Kippur Morning, Saturday, September 14, 9:30am to 12:15pm (at OLB.)

Shir Hadash  also offers the following Yom Kippur services on Saturday afternoon at SH, which are open to the public:

• Yizkor, immediately following the morning service at approximately 12:15, at OLB
• Family service, 2:00 to 2:45pm at SH: scroll down for details

• Note: Our family services are geared to children in grades K – 3 and their families

Adult Open Discussion Groups, 2:00 to 4:00pm at SH: scroll down for details

Mincha afternoon service, 4:15 to 5:00pm at SH

Ne’ilah, 5:15 to 6:15pm at SH

Overflow parking at SH is available at Hawthorne School, located behind the synagogue on Glendale Avenue. Click here to view a map to the Hawthorne parking lot.

Family High Holidays Services
As noted above, the Family Worship Service will be held on Yom Kippur (Sept. 14), from 2:00 to 2:45pm at the synagogue. Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and our new children's service leader for the Holidays, Lauren Shook, will lead warm, meaningful and creative services filled with song, story and joy.  On Yom Kippur, we will hear the Kol Nidrei chant, and we will present the famous Jonah and the Whale puppet story.  This service will be aimed at children in elementary school and their families.
Please try to come fifteen or twenty minutes early, if possible, in order to participate in Lauren Shook's special High Holiday craft project that children and parents can do together.  These projects will become an important part of each service.   All are welcome - and there is no charge, so if you have friends or family that you think would enjoy the program, bring them along!

Yom Kippur Afternoon Discussion Groups
On Yom Kippur afternoon, we at Shir Hadash always have a series of interesting, thought-provoking discussion sessions.  (Well, yes, it does help us not think about the lack of food.)  This year, we will do that again – but this time, at our new home! All programs after Yizkor will be at the synagogue – 200 W. Dundee in Wheeling.
The programs start at 2 pm. There will be two programs from 2:00 to 3:00, then two more programs from 3:00 to 4:00. The Mincha service will start at 4:15, with Ne’ilah starting around 5:15. At the end of Ne’ilah, we will do a brief Havdalah, and then a break-fast in the foyer.
So, what programs are being held? At 2:00pm, you can choose from two different topics. 

• "Syria": We usually hold a session on Israel and the Middle East. This year, it is clear what our topic should be: Syria. Members Burton Kopulsky and Ed Rice will lead this discussion. Later this week, we will be sending out links to some articles that you might want to read for preparation
• "What Does Repentance Mean in the Modern World?" Shir Hadash’s President, Jeff Wallk, will lead this discussion, a topic that could not be more relevant to Yom Kippur. On the Day of Atonement, we will share our thoughts as to how we, as modern Jews, can use this holiday as a foundation for improving how we relate to community, family and God.

Then, at 3:00 pm, we have two more discussion sessions. 

• "The Seven Questions You’re Asked in Heaven: Reviewing & Renewing Your Life on Earth," led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow. Based on the exciting book by Rabbi Ron Wolfson, Rabbi Eitan will lead us through a challenging and provocative ‘life review.’ The Seven Questions are designed to help us focus on this life and how to make it matter. These are penetrating questions that help us continue the process of reviewing our lives, our goals, relationships, values, and priorities. The answers to these questions can help us shape the rest of our life journeys.
• "So What is Reconstructionist Judaism About Anyway?" led by Fred Andes, chair of the Creative Worship & Ritual Committee. The Committee members often hear this question. In this session, Fred will provide some background on the basic concepts in Recon Judaism, and take any and all questions about Recon and how we practice it at Shir Hadash. And, since we always reconstructing, your feedback and suggestions are welcome! 

One more thing: PARKING. Since we will be starting these adult discussions at 2 pm, the same time as the family afternoon service (also at the synagogue), we expect that the parking lot will fill up very quickly. Therefore, we suggest that you park at the Hawthorne School lot, which is directly behind (north of) the synagogue, and walk over the bridge to our building. To get to the school lot from Our Lady of the Brook, head west on Dundee, turn right at Wolf, and turn left at Glendale – that street runs directly into the parking lot. Click here to see a map on our web site.

Friday, September 20: Sukkot
Join Shir Hadash for Sukkot services on Friday, September 20, at 7:30 p.m. After a family-friendly service, we will engage in a Sukkot art project for all ages. Sukkot decorations will be created and hung in the sukkah that evening. Then we’ll shake the lulav and the etrog and have a pot-luck oneg in the sukkah. Services will be held at Shir Hadash Synagogue, 200 W. Dundee Road, Wheeling, IL 60090. For more information, click here or call(847) 498-8218.

Want to help us build the first sukkah at our synagogue? Scroll down to "Volunteer Opportunities" for details!

Sunday, September 29: Simchat Torah Service and Pizza Dinner
Celebrate Simchat Torah with Shir Hadash Synagogue on Sunday, September 29,  with a pizza dinner followed by a wonderful service!  Dinner starts at 5:00pm with the service following at 6:00. We welcome everyone, younger and older, to dance numerous circle dances with our Torah scrolls led by Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and members of the Mighty Shir Hadash Klezmorim band. Our newest religious school students will be honored through a “Consecration” ceremony. Following the dancing, we will unroll a Torah scroll from end to end for all to see. We will read the last few lines of the Torah and then the first few lines, thus finishing and beginning our study anew. Finally, taffy apples will be served outside in our Sukkah harvest booth.

Details regarding price for the dinner and RSVP info will be coming soon. Looking forward to seeing everyone for this great Shir Hadash evening.

Membership and Upcoming Events

Update Your Membership Info Today!
Now is the time to renew your membership for the coming year. Please remember, only members who have submitted all their renewal forms will be admitted to High Holiday services. Additionally, families with bar/bat mitzvahs coming up must be members in good standing in order to have access to the synagogue’s resources (use of the ark, books, torah, rabbi, and of course the new building).
Click here to view the online membership area of our website. If you haven’t received the online link for membership renewal or have any questions, please contact the tech team at info@shir-hadash.org.

Book Club
The next book for after the High Holidays will be My Russian Grandmother and Her American Vacuum Cleaner: A Family Memoir  by Meir Shalev. This is the story of a second generation Israeli family and their grandmother battling her biggest problem with Israel—the dirt.
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, September 25 at 7:30 pm at the home of Mickey Herbin, 4050 Dundee Rd. # 103 in Northbrook. For further info contact Meryl Abensohn at abenkras@aol.com.

Permanent Restaurant Fundraisers: The Continental and Butterfield's
Visit The Continental Restaurant or Butterfield’s anytime, and they will donate 5% of your total bill to Shir Hadash! No flyer needed – just mention Shir Hadash when you are paying.  Stop by for a great meal and thank them for supporting our community!

• The Continental Restaurant, 788 S. Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove – 847 459 4095
• Butterfield’s, 4195 Dundee, Northbrook – 847 205 2588

Volunteer Opportunities

Lend a Hand at the High Holidays
Our main services for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur will be held again this year at Our Lady of the Brook, 3700 Dundee Road in Northbrook. We can use lots of help each day to set up and take down our equipment. Any time you can commit is much appreciated.
We also need volunteers for the Yom Kippur Family Service at the synagogue.  Volunteers will help with checking people in, setting up the art project, greeting people, answering questions, and taking people around the building.
To help at any of these services, contact Fred Andes at fandes@btlaw.com or 773 354 3100. Thanks for stepping up!

Time to Build a Sukkah!
Everyone is welcome to help build the first sukkah at our synagogue. Come out on Sunday, September 15th at 10:00am to be part of this special experience. Please contact Jerry Weiss with any questions or to RSVP: jsw@ieee.org.

Simchat Torah: Pizza Party Prep
As you read above, we’ll start our Simchat Torah celebration on Sunday, September 29 with a pizza dinner. To set up, we will need help putting out the dining tables, chairs, and buffet tables. Set up will begin about 12:15, just before Sunday School finishes.  So come on in and join the fun.  The more people who help - kids are welcome! - the faster the job will get done. If you have any questions contact Melanie Andes 847-913-9198,fmandes@comcast.net or Rebecca Rice 847-509-9951, r.rice1@comcast.net.

Office Help Needed
Can you pitch in to help get our new office running? Lillian needs assistance with answering the phones and helping with administrative tasks between now and September 30. The busiest times are from 9am-noon, but she could use help anytime between 9am and 4pm.  If you’re able to volunteer a day or two, or more, it would be most appreciated. Contact volunteer@shir-hadash.org to let us know what dates and hours you are available, and how often you’d like to be scheduled. 

The Rabbi’s Corner

Yom Kippur Greetings
September 13-14, 2013 / 10 Tishrei 5774Shabbat v’Yom HaKippurimTorah Portion:  Deuteronomy 29:9-12, 30:11-20 and Leviticus 19:1-18Haftarah Portion:  Jeremiah 57:14-58:14
Dear Friends,This Friday evening, when we gather to begin our Yom Kippur worship, we will rise to sing Kol Nidrei together as a community.  Even though we might feel some safety in numbers, our tradition teaches that each one of us is standing alone before God.  This has led some to interpret that Yom Kippur is both the Day of Atonement and the Day of At-One-Ment. We will be singing Kol Nidrei together as a community so that each and every person present will have the chance to sing the words and offer the prayer from the depths of the heart.
Rabbi Rami Shapiro offers the following meditation preparing us for standing in God’s presence on Yom Kippur:
Bold, Humble DaringToday we stand before the Mirror of Allto see ourselves as we are.We come with no gifts, no bribes, no illusions, no excuses.We stand without defense and wait to be filled.What will fill us?Remorse, certainly.  So much error and needless pain.And Joy; remembered moments of love and right doing.We are too complex for single-sided emotions.And we are too simple to be excused by our complexity.Let us be bold enough to see,humble enough to feel,daring enough to turn andembrace the way of justice, mercy, and simplicity.
G’mar Hatimah Tovah - May you be sealed in the Book of Life for a good year.--Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

School News

Sunday School Countdown!
The Education Committee and school staff are looking forward to the 2013-2014 school year. The first day will be Sunday, September 22nd, from 9:15 a.m.-12:25 p.m. Teachers are decorating their classrooms and creating lesson plans, and we are all very happy to be in our building.
Parents, please make sure that you have registered your child for Sunday school.  We have several new families this year and want to make sure the classes are properly organized to accommodate all of us. If you haven’t signed up yet, please click here to complete your child’s registration. We don't want you to miss out on all the great things that are happening around here! 

Teen News

BBYO Kickoff 2013: Nautical Nights!
This Sunday, September 15  will be an amazing night of music, food, yachting and friends as Shir Hadash youth gets their first taste of BBYO! If you haven’t registered yet, click here.
BBYO Kickoff is open to all Jewish 8th-12th graders. You do not need to be a registered  BBYO member. Invite your friends!
Timeline:

• 3:00pm-4:15pm- commute to Navy Pier
• 4:30pm-5:30pm-Dinner and Icebreakers
• 6pm-8pm- on the yacht!
• 8:15-9:15pm- commute home

Transportation: Buses will depart from Duman JCC in Buffalo Grove at 2:45, Weinger JCC in Northbrook at 2:45, and Kaplan JCC in Skokie at 3:00. Contact Carole Mostow at youth@shir-hadash.org for detailed bus information.
Attire: The theme for the evening is Nautical Nights! You can wear your yachting finest.This can include: khaki pants or shorts, polos, button downs, dresses, skirts, blouses and tank tops.
Food: Dinner will be provided prior to setting sail, snacks and drinks will be available on the yacht
New Parent Meeting: During the cruise, parents have the opportunity meet the Co-Directors of BBYO's Great Midwest Region, ask questions, learn about the program, and meet other parents. Parents from our Friends and Alumni Network are organizing a get-together following the meeting for the parents to participate in while the teens are sailing. Please RSVP at gmr@bbyo.org if you plan to attend the meeting so we can make sure to prepare for the appropriate number of people.

Madrichim
Get ready for another great year of Sunday School! Assignments will be e-mailed this week.  Please check the e-mail you provided at our meeting (or on your registration form) for important information.  As always, contact Carole Mostow with any questions or concerns: youth@shir-hadash.org.

Community News

Response’s Parent and Family Connection Series.
Parent and Family Connection is back! This JCFS-sponsored group offers friendship and support to LGBTQ  teens and their families. New members and guests are always welcome. Upcoming events include:

• Monday, September 23: First fall meeting at Response, 9304 Skokie Blvd in Skokie, 7:00 to 8:30
• Sunday, October 6: Film screening of “Melting Away", the first Israeli film to portray a family coming to terms with their transgender teen. This event is free, and will be followed by refreshments and a panel discussion. The screening will be held at Emanuel Congregation, 5959 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, from 1:00 to 3:00pm.

For more information, contact Rachel Marro, RachelMarro@jcfs.org or 224 625 2946. 

American Diabetes Association “Step Out” Fundraiser
The ADA’s annual Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes will be held September 28 at Didier Farms. Shir Hadash’s Dumrauf family has a team walking in honor of their son. In addition to a four-mile fundraising walk, this event features a fun, family-friendly festival where you can learn about healthy eating, physical activity and diabetes before and after the walk. Didier Farms is a pumpkin patch full of rides and games for children and a corn maze and hayrack rides is fun for the entire family! Visit the event website for details on how to participate or donate in support of Team Tyler Dumrauf.

Employment Opportunity
Marilyn Kier, who has been attending High Holiday services at Shir Hadash for several years, is looking for a part-time office employee at her orthopedic massage therapy business in Northfield. The position would be Tuesday through Saturday (or the hours could be split between two people). The general hours are from 2:30 -7:30 Tuesday and Wednesday; 3:30 - 8:30 Thursday; 2- 6 on Friday; and 2:30 - 6:30 on Saturday. Start time is flexible. Starting pay will be $12 per hour. College students are welcome. Anyone interested can call her office at (847) 784-8400 or e-mailmarilynk@wellnessatwork.net with “interested in part time job” in the subject line.