Health & Fitness
Shir Hadash Weekly Newsletter, May 16, 2013
Find out what's happening this week at Shir Hadash Synagogue!
What’s Happening at a Glance
Membership News and Upcoming Events
- Building Update
- Celebrating Summer Jewish Experiences, June 7
- Book Club Set for July 11
- Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts
Teen News
Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Recap: Murder Mystery Party with JRC Youth
Creative Worship & Ritual
- May 17: Shavuot Service, Led by Havayah
Adult Education
Find out what's happening in Northbrookwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- Thursday Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan
The Rabbi’s Corner
- “To Life – L’Chaim”
Community News
- Theatre Recommendation: “The Pianist of Willesden Lane”
- Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland
Membership and Upcoming Events
Building Update We have signed our general contractor contract with Housh’s Construction Company. Construction is beginning this week! To make room for construction, equipment from the building will temporarily be located in two PODs located in the parking lot. In addition, during construction the building will be closed except for scheduled Friday night services. All meetings other than services will be held at the Shir Hadash office in Northbrook. It is hoped that construction will be complete in early August, with our dedication onAugust 18.
Building Plans - After two town hall meetings and receiving input from members, the buildings plans have been substantially finalized. Included in the changes was a redesign of some classrooms, resulting in the smallest classrooms increasing in size 25%-38% from the original proposed design. This should create a comfortable and nurturing space for our students. We thank our members for their input. Please keep the suggestions coming! Additional information is available on our website at the Building FAQ.
Opportunities remain for members to continue to contribute to the building process. This is a very exciting time and lots of fun decisions are being made, such as:
• Final material selection for the lobby furniture and cabinetry
• Final design and material selections for our ark
• Classroom furniture and paint colors
• Signage at the Dundee Road entrance
If you are interested in participating in the decision making, please e-mail Deborah Newberger at izzyhome@aol.com or Marc Fargotstein at marcfargo@att.net. The first interior design committee meeting has been set for May 22 at 7pm at the home of Deborah Newberger, 1175 Carold Ct., Deerfield. Everyone is welcome to come and participate.
Celebrating Jewish Summer Experiences, June 7 Do your plans for the summer include special Jewish experiences? Maybe your kids are attending a Jewish camp, or you’re taking a family trip to Israel? If so, we want to honor you at the June 7 service! Please email Rabbi Eitan (rabbi@shir-hadash.org) or Education Director Emily Ascher (eddirector@shir-hadash.org) to let us know.
Save the Date: Synagogue Dedication, August 18 While making your summer plans, be sure to save the date for the dedication of our beautiful synagogue on Sunday, August 18! Details are still being worked out so watch future newsletters and emails for updates. If you have any questions and/or would like to help, contact Melanie Andes (fmandes@comcast.net) or Marc Fargotstein (marcfargo@att.net).
Book Club The next book club will meet on Thursday, July 11 at the home of the Zwick family, 385 Castlewood Lane in Deerfield. The book will be The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolam. This true story helps to give insight into the Palestinian-Israeli conundrum. For more info about our book club, contact Meryl Abensohn, abenkras@aol.com.
Spread the Word with Shir Hadash T-Shirts Show off your love for Shir Hadash! White all cotton t-shirts proclaiming "Say Shalom to Our New Home" are available in men’s, women’s and kids’ sizes for $10. To order, contact Lisa McCulloh, 847-814-2922 or jjlisamc@gmail.com.
Teen News
Recap: Teen Party with JRC Who done it? Was is Dee Hydration? Red Karpitt? No, it was Nic O’Time - a Shir Hadash teen who was the culprit at our first Murder Mystery night held in conjunction with JRC. Over 20 teens gathered at JRC for a fun filled, good humored evening led by Elena from the Response Center. We enjoyed a delicious dinner from Pita Inn while we were mixing & mingling (staying in character) to decipher the clues and determine the guilty party.
The Response Center offers many services to local teens and their families including counseling, interactive workshops, leadership activities, substance abuse prevention and clinical services for teens. The Response Center empowers teens to make healthy life choices. For more information, visit www.responsecenter.org.
Creative Worship & Ritual
May 17 Service - Shavuot with our Havayah Teens On Friday, May 17 (7:30 at the synagogue, 200 Dundee in Wheeling) we will celebrate the Jewish festival of the Spring harvest - Shavuot - led by our 8th grade through high school teens. Our students have been hard at work at our Havayah Monday Jewish high school classes, studying Torah, Talmud and Jewish values. We will read the story of the Ten Commandments from the Torah scroll. We will honor our graduating high school seniors. There will be a special dance tribute by Rebecca and Shoshi Rice. And, as always, there will be singing and storytelling. Wait, there’s more! During the oneg, Ken Wexler will present his exhibit of photographs from Israel. Don't forget to bring something for the pot-luck oneg!
Adult Education
Lunch & Learn: Thursday Torah Study with Rabbi Eitan Join Rabbi Eitan and fellow Shir Hadash members for an exciting hour of Torah study, brown bag lunch, and lively discussion.
Meeting Place: The Shir Hadash office, 3340 Dundee Road in Northbrook
Time: 12 noon - sharp
This week's portion: Numbers, Chapter 6Discussion Topic: "Vows of Abstinence"
The Rabbi’s Corner
May 17-18, 2013 / 9 Sivan 5773Shabbat NasoTorah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89 / Haftarah Portion: Judges 13:2-25
“To Life- L'chaim”
Dear Friends,
Drinking and enjoying responsibly is one thing. Getting drunk is entirely different. I can remember a time as a child when seeing someone drunk and out of control was very frightening. Later, in college years, I can remember laughing when my friends or others were drunk. Watching them stumble around seemed so amusing and at times hilarious. Yet, knowing what goes on at college campuses these days regarding irresponsibility and accidents caused by drinking doesn’t seem so funny anymore.
Actually, nowadays, when I see someone drunk, whether a street person, a sports fan or someone at an upscale bar or party, I feel sad. Seeing someone lost and out of control is no longer amusing. Seeing someone impaired to the point of missing the beauty of the moment and even ruining it for others is troubling. Seeing someone squandering his or her sense of dignity, integrity and pride while acting so foolishly is disheartening.
Our ancestors knew all about this. …
To read the rest of The Rabbi’s Corner, click here to visit our website.
Community News
Theatre Recommendation: “The Pianist of Willesden Lane’ Now playing at the Royal George Theatre through May 25Set in Vienna in 1928 and in London during the Blitzkreig, “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” tells the true noted pianist and author Lisa Jura, as performed by her own daughter Mona Golabek. When Lisa is sent on the Kindertransport to London to protect her from the Nazi regime, everything about her life is upended except her love of music and her pursuit of her dreams. Tribune Critic Chris Jones praised the production, saying, "The simple act of Golabek sitting down at the Steinway piano is...enough to make your mouth fall open with a certain wonder at the way of the world." Don’t miss it!Click here to visit the Royal George Theatre website for more information.
Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews Is your child gay, lesbian, transgender, queer, or questioning? Do you want to talk to other Jewish families with LGBTQ children? If so, join the monthly discussions with Parent & Family Connection for LGBTQ Jews in Chicagoland. The next meeting will be held on May 20. Upcoming topics will include: transgender youth; passing--who knows, who doesn’t know; navigating a hetero-sexist world; healthy relationships and violence in the LGBTQ community; and conversation about creating inclusive communities.
With support from Keshet, Response provides group support for those dealing with any stage of the coming out process. Response helps adolescents in the Jewish and general community develop skills in communication, decision-making and leadership necessary to deal with life’s challenges. Response is a program of JCFS, a partner in serving our community, supported by the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation.
