Friday Night - Got Questions?

This Friday night’s service (7:30 at LCHS) is different.  (Well, most of our services are different, but this one in particular.)  We haven’t had a “learner’s service” in a while, so we figured that it was time.  And what is a “learner’s service,” for those who have not experienced it?  Well, during this service, we take the time to actually stop now and then and let the Rabbi explain what we’re doing - why we read this prayer, what that prayer really means, why one comes before the other, why we sing some and read others.  And you can ask questions, whether they are about the prayers, or the songs, or Hanukah (since that’s coming up very soon), or about some other Jewish topic.  And those questions can start a discussion.  (Not an unknown thing at Shir Hadash.)  So we learn - hence, “learner’s service.”  In this service, everyone is a learner - and you may even end up being a teacher too, as you participate in the questions and discussion.  And, of course, it all gets topped off with an oneg - so don’t forget to bring something... See you Friday night!

Friday Night - A New Ark Too!

We’ve already told you about the theme for this Friday night’s service - our search for our Jewish roots.  What we haven’t told you is that we are also holding a very special, seldom-seen, even unique event: dedication of a new ark for the Torah!  Our member Kami Farahmandpour has hand-crafted a new wooden ark for us, in memory of his father Isaac.   It is absolutely beautiful - and it even has lights!  Come to see the new ark, and celebrate with the Farahmandpours and the rest of the Shir Hadash family!  Don’t forget to bring something for oneg - since we’re celebrating our roots, try to bring something that reminds you of your parents, grandparents or other relatives.  And DON’T FORGET THE DIFFERENT LOCATION - HELLENIC AMERICAN ACADEMY.  See you Friday night!    

Friday Night: Explore Your Roots at a Special Location!

Creative Worship     & Ritual ___________________

This Friday night (November 2), services are at the regular time - 7:30 - but not at the regular location.  LCHS is busy that night, so we will be, instead, at one of our other (current) locations - Hellenic American Academy, where we have Religious School.  For those who don’t frequent the Religious School, that is at 1085 Lake Cook Road in Deerfield.    So what is the service about?  About the end of Jewish wandering, perhaps?  Well, sort of...  As noted on the High Holidays, a major theme for us this year is exploring our Jewish roots.  Many of our members have been doing exactly that, doing geneological searches, using www.ancestry.com and other tools to learn about their close and distant ancestors and to find relatives.   They have found that this searching affects them in profoundly moving ways.  So we have some members who will come and talk about that experience.  But we want more - so if you have been searching for your roots and would like to share your experience and how it has affected you, please come and be with us on Friday night!  Also, please send a reply to this note, so we know you’re coming and can plan for enough time for all of the wonderful stories... And don’t forget to bring something for oneg.  See you Friday night!

Friday - New Music, Board Induction, Torah and Anniversary!

This Friday night’s service (7:30 at LCHS) - our first after all of the holiday services - is full of new and exciting things.  Let’s see, just to list some of them:


1. A new arrangement of Shehecheyanu, developed and performed by Shir Hadash member Jeff Justman.


2. A community celebration of Hugh and Katy Zwick’s 25th wedding anniversary - complete with chupah!  (We’ll need tall people to hold the poles...)


3. Induction of new members of the Shir Hadash Board.  Come and wish them well in their service to the community (and thank them for volunteering for the job).


4. Reading of the Torah - this week’s portion is about the Tower of Babel, so we’ll talk about conformity, diversity and modern-day challenges that we face on those same issues.


And don’t forget to bring something for oneg.  In honor of the Tower of Babel, try to bring something with a non-English name.  See you Friday night!   

Do the Sukkah Thing - Friday Night!

So have you been in a sukkah yet this year?  Two chances this weekend to shake your lulav - Friday night Sukkot service, and Sunday night Simchat Torah program (with pizza dinner).  


Did you know that there is a Jewish prayer for rain? Well, our Shabbat Sukkot service (Friday, October 5 at LCHS) will include that special prayer as well as readings and songs for the harvest festival. At this time of Jewish thanksgiving, we will honor and install our new Board members and then engage in a Sukkot art project for all ages. Help us welcome the mystical spirits of biblical leaders Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and others to our sukkah celebration. We will decorate and dedicate our Shir Hadash sukkah booth and enjoy our oneg treats outside under the stars—unless our prayers are answered and it rains!


So don’t forget to bring something for oneg - see you there!


P.S.  If you’d like the enormous mitzvah of helping us put up the sukkah, please come early (like 6:30) - we can use the help!

Discussion Topics for Yom Kippur Afternoon

We look forward to seeing you at Yom Kippur services tonight and tomorrow.  As you know, we always have discussion groups on Yom Kippur afternoon, for those who would like to hang out at OLB, talk about some interesting Jewish topics, and not think about food.  This year, we have some very special programs, and we hope that you will join us. 


From 2 pm to 3 pm, we will have a discussion of this topic: “Is Democracy a Jewish Idea?”  There was a recent discussion of this issue in Moment magazine, with short pieces from a number of Jewish thinkers.  We will review those pieces and, of course, lay out our own views.  Copies of the Moment article will be available tonight, but here’s a link too:  http://www.momentmag.com/moment/issues/2012/10/Symposium.html . 


From 3 pm to 4 pm, we will have a discussion of this topic: “Can the Jewish people exist without Israel?”  There have been several articles on this topic lately, from a variety of perspectives.  We will review those pieces, and discuss our own views on that issue.  Copies will be available, and here are some links as well: http://israelstreet.blogspot.com/2012/08/can-judaism-survive-without-israel.html

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/109429/no-jewish-people-without-israel

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/jun/10/failure-american-jewish-establishment/?pagination=false


Finally, if you want to hang around with us for the afternoon but don’t really want to talk about Israel, we will have another program at 3 pm, with a different topic: “Can Science and Religion Co-Exist?”. 


Again - best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

This Friday Night - Shabbat Shuvah!

We hope that you all enjoyed the Rosh Hashanah services, and look forward to seeing you next week for Yom Kippur.  In the meantime, we just want to remind you that during the Days of Awe, we do take time out to celebrate Shabbat.  In fact, the Shabbat that falls during this time period - Shabbat Shuvah, or the Shabbat of Return or the Shabbat of Repentance - is a very special Shabbat, which is thought of by some Jewish authorities as the holiest day of the year.  (Shabbat is the holiest day of the week, and since this Shabbat is during the Days of Awe...)  So, we will gather for Shabbat Shuvah this Friday night, September 21, at 7:30 pm, at our regular Friday night location - Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit (LCHS).  See you then - don’t forget to bring a little something for oneg.  And - best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

High Holidays Schedule and Forms

The High Holidays are just a week away! We look forward to seeing you all there.  Just so you have all of the details handy, we have attached our initial letter about the High Holidays, which includes the full schedule of services.


We have also attached the High Holidays registration form.  If you have not already sent this in, please fill it out now and return - it really helps us plan to know how many are attending and when.  Volunteers are still needed, so please fill out that part of the form and let us know how you can help.


The registration form for children’s programming is also attached.  If you would like your child or children to attend those programs during the morning services, please fill out and return that form (unless, of course, you have already done so).  


If you have any questions about the services, or any other aspect of High Holidays, please feel free to call the office or Fred Andes (fandes@btlaw.com or 773-354-3100).  Best wishes for a wonderful New Year!

Saturday Night - Selichot & Presentation of "100 Voices"

This Saturday night (Sept. 8), we start the High Holidays season with a very special Selichot service.  That will be at 7:30 at our High Holiday home, Our Lady of the Brook, at 3700 Dundee Road in Northbrook.

During the Selichot service, we will view "100 Voices: A Journey Home."  This is a wonderful Jewish documentary, which fits well into our efforts this year, at Shir Hadash, to explore our Jewish roots.  In June 2009, an assembly of the world's finest cantors - the largest group of cantors to return to Poland since the Holocaust - came together in Poland on an historic mission of reconciliation.  Their travel culminates in an emotional memorial at the gates of Auschwitz.  The firm celebrates the resilience of Jewish tradition and the ability of music to heal hearts.  

We will have a brief service as well, and after the movie, we'll (of course) have a discussion.  Plus, food - so don't forget to bring something for oneg!  See you there...

NO Service Friday Night - But Selichot Coming & We Need Your Help!

This Friday night, August 31, we do NOT have a service.  It's Labor Day weekend, and - more importantly - Selichot is coming up very soon.  That service is Saturday, September 8 - 7:30 pm, at our High Holidays location, Our Lady of the Brook (3700 Dundee Road in Northbrook).  As noted in the Bulletin (and our web site calendar), the Selichot program will center around a very special film that we will be watching and discussing, "100 Voices: A Journey Home."  Don't miss it!

Of course, Selichot marks the beginning of the High Holiday season, and we look forward to seeing everyone at services.  We are now hard at work making that happen, and there are a few areas where we could use some help.  In particular, here are the areas where we need assistance:

1. Make calls to ask people to take reading parts during the services.

2. Help transport materials and equipment to OLB before services and/or back to the office after services.  (And if you have a van, so much the better.)

3. Attend the family afternoon services on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur and help greet the attending families. 
If you can help with any of these activities, please let Fred Andes know (fandes@btlaw.com or 773/354-3100).  Thanks

This Friday night, August 17 (7:30 at LCHS), we begin the process of preparing for the High Holidays, which are (believe it or not) coming very soon.  The Torah portion for this week calls us to responsibility, and the shofar calls us to awareness.  Rabbi Eitan will sound the shofar to mark the month of Elul, which leads us to Rosh Hashana, and our new Shir Hadash band, including Marc Edler’s fabulous trombone solos, will add special spirit to our singing.  We will also bless students heading off to college - so bring them along to get their blessing.  Finally, we’ll welcome prospective members visiting our creative and caring Jewish community.  Come and greet them!

Oh, one more thing - don't forget to bring stuff for oneg.  See you Friday night!
     

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

High Holidays - Torah Parts Available!

Hard to believe, but High Holidays will be here before we know it - only two months away.  So it's time for us to ramp up our planning - and one very important element is to assign Torah portions for reading or chanting.  We already have some parts assigned to folks who have done Torah before, but there are still parts available.  We have a particular need for readers or chanters on Rosh Hashanah Day 2 and Yom Kippur afternoon, but we do have a few slots still available on Rosh Hashanah Day 1 and Yom Kippur morning.  We are especially interested in having recent bar and bat mitzvahs come up and chant Torah.  If you volunteer, we will e-mail to you an MP3 of the Rabbi chanting the portion, plus a written copy of the portion in Hebrew and English - and you can get help from the Rabbi and Dawn in getting ready to chant.  So if you (or your son or daughter) are interested, please let Fred Andes know.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Fred, at fandes@btlaw.com or 773/354-3100.  Thanks - we look forward to seeing you all at High Holidays - and before! 

   

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Friday Night - Rabbi Eitan's Back!

Well, Rabbi Eitan is back from his trip to Italy and Israel, and he has some very exciting things to tell us about (and show us too).  At the service this Friday night, July 20 (7:30 at LCHS), come to welcome the Rabbi back, and hear all about the trip, including the Rabbi's presentation to Shir Hadash Italy (in Florence), and his visits to important archaeological and historic sites in Israel.  So - come, learn, enjoy Shabbat, and don't forget to bring something along for Oneg!  See you then...

   

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Havdalah, Hot Tubs and S'More's - Come Enjoy on Saturday Night!

This coming weekend, we will NOT have a Friday night service, but we are having a different celebration instead - come enjoy  Havdalah with us in a special new way!  We are getting together Saturday night at the home of Lise and Sandi Schleicher, 2384 Dehne Road in Northbrook, at 7:30.  But there's a lot more happening than at your regular Havdalah - there will be a hot tub to hang out in, a fire pit to roast marshmallows and make S'More's, games to play, and much more!

A few details:
1. The house is at the corner of Western & Dehne.  You can park in the school lot across Western if you can't find a space on the street.
2. Don't come in via Techny Road - it's closed.
3. If you are hot tubbing, please bring towels, to make sure that we have enough.
4. Please bring lawn chairs if you can.

5. One thing will be like Friday night - please bring desserts!

6. MOST important - so we can plan, an RSVP would be great, to either sschleicher@onebox.com or 800/897-0533.  But if you decide at the last minute that you want to come, and haven't RSVP'ed, please do come!

Looking forward to seeing you there - should be the most fun Havdalah of all time!

   

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Friday Night - Speaker from J Street!

For our June 29 service (7:30, back at LCHS), while Rabbi Eitan is on his Italy-Israel trip, we have a very special speaker, from J Street.  In case you do not know about J Street, it is a fairly new group, active both at the national level and in the Chicago area, that calls itself "the political home for pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans."  (For further info, see www.jstreet.org. )

The J Street speaker is Rich Goldwasser.  Rich lives in Highland Park - grew up in Northbrook and Skokie.  (So he probably grew up with someone from Shir Hadash.)  He went to U of I for his undergrad and law degrees, and later clerked for the President of Israel's Supreme Court.  He is a member of J Street's Board of Directors, and serves on the Steering Committee of J Street Chicago. 

So come to hear what J Street has to say about what's going on in Israel.  And come to support our Adult Hebrew class, which will lead the service while Eitan is away.  And - don't forget to bring something for oneg....

   

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Friday Night Service - Be a Spy!

Our June 15 service (7:30, back at LCHS) will include a special Torah Reading about the Incident of the Twelve Spies. Members will stage a dramatic skit about the portion, too.  (So if you've ever wanted to be a spy, now is your chance - just send a reply to this e-mail, and we'll get you a part.)

Rabbi Eitan will also teach about the significance of the tzitzit fringe on the tallit prayer shawl, and we will bless our children heading off to summer camp and Israel.

Also - come and wish Eitan a great trip!  He is headed to Israel for a few weeks, but first to Florence, where he will be giving a talk at a synagogue - by the name of Shir Hadash!

And - don't forget to bring something for oneg....

   

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

AIPAC Coming to Shir Hadash on June 1!

Our next Friday night service, on June 1 at 7:30, will have a special speaker, from AIPAC - the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.  Susan Millner, who is a leader for AIPAC in Chicago, will talk to us about the challenges facing Israel and what the future holds.  And we will, I'm sure, ask her a lot of questions (since that's what we do).   One other thing - we have a different location for this service - the Vernon Township Community Service Building, at 2900 N. Main in Buffalo Grove (where we have our Seders).  See you there!

    

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Shavuot on Saturday Night - and Special Speaker and Location for June 1 Service

We have two special programs coming up.

First, just a quick reminder: This Saturday night, May 26, is Shavuot, and we are getting together to have a "Jewish teach-in" and eat (primarily) dairy desserts - both Shavuot traditions.   This program will run from 8 pm to 10:30 on Saturday, at the home of Ed and Rebecca Rice, which is at 3641 Bernay Drive in Northbrook.  If you have not already RSVP'ed, please e-mail Rebecca at r.rice1@comcast.net or call her at 847/509-9951.  

Second, our next Friday night service, on June 1 at 7:30, will have a special speaker, from AIPAC - the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.  Susan Millner, who is a leader for AIPAC in Chicago, will talk to us about the challenges facing Israel and what the future holds.  And we will, I'm sure, ask her a lot of questions (since that's what we do).   One other thing - we have a different location for this service - the Vernon Township Community Service Building, at 2900 N. Main in Buffalo Grove (where we have our Seders).  See you there!

    

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

A Special Saturday Night Shavuot Program - Come, Discuss and Eat!

This Saturday night, May 26, is Shavuot, and we are trying something new that actually follows an old Jewish tradition on this holiday: we are going to meet to learn, to talk, and (of course) to eat! 

First, we need to give you the "where and when."  This program will run from 8 pm to 10:30 on Saturday, at the home of Ed and Rebecca Rice, which is at 3641 Bernay Drive in Northbrook.

Now the "what."  There are two important traditions about Shavuot.  First, you are supposed to get together at night, and learn together about Jewish topics.  Second, you are supposed to eat - specifically, dairy products.  So we're going to combine the two (with flexibility for those for whom dairy is a problem). 

So first, the learning.  Not just one topic, but four!  We will have four bite-size  time periods of about a half-hour each, and during each of them, a leader will start a discussion by teaching about a topic, then will open the floor for our usual free-flowing dialogue. 

Here are the topics.  First, Rabbi Eitan will teach from the Book of Ruth, which will lead us into a discussion aboutmodern relationships.   Steve Lewin will follow up with another topic from the Book of Ruth - about intermarriage and conversion.  Then we will switch to a different area entirely, and Ed Rice and Burton Kopulsky will lead a discussion of Israel, but not about politics: instead, it will be about Israel's world leadership in high technology.  Finally, Fred Andes will teach us about a Recon topic, but not about philosophy: instead, since we talk a lot about "Rabbi Kaplan," we will find out exactly who Mordecai Kaplan was - and you will be surprised!

OK, now about the food.  We'll do our traditional "bring your own dessert" - in the Shavuot tradition, it should be dairy, but it would be good if some folks can bring non-dairy and non-gluten products as well, so everyone can enjoy.

One final thing: if you are coming, please RSVP to Rebecca atr.rice1@comcast.net or call her at847/509-9951.  And see you Saturday!

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Event: “Why Israel Matters”

NEWS RELEASE

Contact:

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

847/498-8218

rabbi@shir-hadash.org

Quick Facts

Event:  “Why Israel Matters” – AIPAC Speaker at Shir Hadash Synagogue

Date:  Friday evening, June 1, 2012

Time:  7:30 PM

Place:  Social Hall of Lutheran Church (30 Riverwoods Road in Lincolnshire)

Cost:  Free and Open to the Public

Call for more information:  Shir Hadash office - 847/498-8218

Why Israel Matters: AIPAC’s Susan Millner to Speak at Shir Hadash Synagogue

(Northbrook, IL) Each day the headlines bring new and serious challenges for the State of Israel. Come and explore pressing Middle East issues that affect Israel’s security and U.S. Interests from the Peace Process to the Arab Spring. Join us and see how Israel is forming relationships with countries across the globe and why United States and Israel are safer, stronger and better together.

Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue will feature Susan Brent Millner, AIPAC (America-Israel Public Affairs Committee) Chicago Leadership Management Director at its shabbat evening service, Friday evening, June 1, 7:30 PM at the social hall of the Lutheran Church (30 Riverwoods Road in Lincolnshire).  Millner’s topic is “Why Israel Matters: Telling the Story.” Shir Hadash Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow said, “It is important to understand why Israel matters to America and the whole world.  In addition to recognizing the many challenges that Israel faces every day, Israel has bright future as an important leader of and contributor to the family of nations.

AIPAC works with leaders in Congress and the administration to ensure a U.S.-Israel relationship that makes both countries safer, smarter and stronger. AIPAC is a bipartisan organization whose members are from every state in the union, representing all faiths, Democrats and Republicans, seasoned political veterans, as well as high school and college students.

Since 2005, Susan Brent Millner, Chicago AIPAC Leadership Management Director, has been responsible for deepening pro-Israel activism within the Chicago area by empowering AIPAC members to connect to the important work of political engagement and to continuing their education of the critical issues affecting the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Shir Hadash, which means a "new song," was founded in the spring of 1995.  It serves more than 160 households from more than 25 different towns in the North and Northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Reconstructionism, the fourth branch of contemporary Judaism, was founded by Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan in the 1930’s.  It defines Judaism as the evolving religious civilization of the Jewish people.   Thus, it seeks to create warm and welcoming Jewish synagogue communities that are respectful of traditional Jewish practice yet open to new interpretation and creative forms of religious expression.  For further information contact 847.498-8218 or www.shir-hadash.org.

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Come Enjoy - and Learn - on Friday Night with Shir Hadash!

This Friday night, May 18 (7:30 at LCHS),  please join us for an experience that we have not had in a very long time: Rabbi Eitan will teach us about amazing archaeological finds in Israel!  In case you didn't know, the Rabbi has a degree in Old World Archaeology and has excavated at numerous Israeli digs.

After the service Friday night (so about 8:45), we'll grab something from the oneg table, come back to our seats, and the Rabbi will give us an exciting look at the latest archeological discoveries from Jerusalem's City of David excavations. He will present some of the fascinating new finds from the City of David, the earliest levels of Jerusalem where King David ruled. Jewelry, engravings, seal impressions, weapons, walls, water systems, palaces and escape tunnels have been found in the past few months. Be among the first to see them!

We'll look forward to seeing you on Friday night - and don't forget to bring something for oneg!

  

 Creative Worship & Ritual Committee