SH Weekly Bulletin

Our Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, May 6 (the last day of Sunday School). We will initially convene the meeting at our Sunday School location, Hellenic American Academy, 1085 Lake Cook Road in Deerfield. Voting will be open starting at 9:15 at that site. Starting at 10 a.m., we will move over to the building next door, Chicagoland Jewish High School (CJHS), for the remainder of the meeting. You will be able to vote at CJHS, and there will be presentations by candidates and concerning the proposed budget, with opportunities to ask questions. Plus, there will be coffee, tea, bagels, cream cheese, fruit, and pastries available at CJHS during the meeting (at no charge).

We'll be reviewing the budget for next year and voting on several board positions. Like many congregations, we too have felt the same challenges that our members have faced with the slow recovery of our economy. We are planning on dedicating part of the board to address this issue head-on next year.

We are introducing a restructuring of the board to improve our ability to grow our membership and enhance fundraising. The board also recognized the need to streamline our governing structure, improve communications with our committees and staff, and provide better focus. Come and help us make a quorum, meet the Board, and ask questions!

May Book Club

The May book club meeting will be held on Monday, May 14 (tentative), at Susan Grossman's home in Highland Park. We will be reading Drawing in the Dust by Zoe Klein. RSVP to Meryl at abenkras@aol.com (preferred) or (847) 509-0377. Please tell your friends about it! This event is not exclusive to Shir Hadash. It is open men and women alike.

Looking for Three Families to Host a Tea

The tea will be an evening event during which the rabbi will teach and lead a discussion about a theme of Reconstructionist values and/or thought that is very relevant to our contemporary Jewish lives. The host will help the rabbi select the theme of most interest. The host will invite some Shir Hadash friends to attend as well as some non-member friends who might be interested in participating. Please contact Caryn McArdle at caryn.mcardle@comcast.net.

Family Bike Ride with the Rabbi...

Keep watching the newsletter for information on a family bike ride with Rabbi Eitan, Chicago architect boat tour, and a baseball game, to name a few activities planned for our community in the next few months.

Rabbi's Corner

"Love Your Neighbor"

May 4-5, 2012 / 13 Iyar 5772

Day 28 of the Omer

Shabbat Aharei Mot-Kedoshim

Torah Portion Leviticus 16:1-20:27/Haftarah Portion Amos 9:7-15

Dear Friends,

The great Hassidic master Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov explained his understanding of the commandment, 'Love your neighbor as yourself,' which appears in this week's Torah portion, through a story. There once were two Russian peasants sitting at a bar. As they became more and more drunk, one friend asked the other, "Ivan, do you love me?" "Of course, I love you," said Ivan. "Then tell me what hurts me." "How should I know what hurts you?" Ivan replied. The friend said, "If you do not know what hurts me, then how can you say that you love me?" For Rabbi Moshe Leib, loving your neighbor as yourself....

Read the rest on the Rabbi's Blog.

L'shalom (In Peace)
Rabbi Eitan

Education Update

Seventh Grade Poverty Awareness Field Trip

The studious seventh grade class made a trip to the Deerfield Jewel on Sunday. Through skilled and clever planning, the students were able to experience first-hand what it is like to live on a budget, to try to survive life at the poverty line. This experience was part of the seventh grade Anti-Poverty Mitzvah-in-Action Program. Teachers Marc Alexander and Yohay Hahamy were excited that their class joined together in order to perform mitzvot. They offer thanks to the parents who drove and helped supervise the trip. All food proceeds were donated to the hungry.

Teacher Appreciation Breakfast

Last Sunday marked another sign of the 2011-2012 school year coming to a close. The Education Committee, comprised of fearless Committee Chair Lauren Tashma, Dawn Allen, Lynne Arons, Carole Mostow, and Rebecca Rice, provided a lovely breakfast for Shir Hadash's hard-working teachers and enthusiastic madrichim (student teachers). Lauren supplied a beautiful array of fruits and muffins, supplemented by a delicious quiche made by Rebecca. Special coffee was brought in, only to come in a close second in favor of school administrator Gloria Kaplan's excellent usual Sunday morning coffee. Gloria brought out the big guns on Sunday, making hot chocolate for the teens. Rabbi Eitan and Carole Mostow made rousing speeches, while Education Director Emily Ascher reminded teachers that there is still one more day of school, and to make sure they maintain the level of enthusiasm felt that morning.

Sixth Graders Encouraged to Attend Shabbat Service

Shir Hadash sixth graders are encouraged to attend Shabbat services this Friday, May 4 at LCHS (30 Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods) to experience a Torah Service.

The Last Day of Religious School

Sunday, May 6, will be the last day of religious school for Shir Hadash students and teachers. We will hold a regular school day, but end with a special 45 minute assembly in the center hall. Kolit, under the tutelage of Arielle Galante, will debut a song, and Josh Wallk's photo montage will be shown, along with a couple of other year-end surprises (think ice cream). The assembly will begin at around 11:30 a.m. Parents who have attended the Shir Hadash Annual Meeting, which should be over by then, are welcome to join us.

Emily Ascher

Education Director

Teen News

Upcoming Teen Advisory Board Meeting

Our next Teen Advisory Board meeting will be on Sunday, May 6, at 8:30 a.m. Please mark your calendars.

Game Show Night with JRC

Our 8th through 12th graders will meet for pizza and games on Saturday, May 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, 303 Dodge, Evanston. This will be a great game show night with great food! There's no charge for this event, but you must RSVP TODAY. We need to know who will attend! To RSVP or if you have questions, send an e-mail to youth@shir-hadash.org.

Volunteer Opportunity for Teens

The Greater Chicago Jewish Festival will be held on Sunday, June 10, at St. Paul Woods, Morton Grove. It will have three stages with music, dance and storytelling; a family stage; a kosher food fair; an art fair; and an organization fair. The fair will take place between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

More than 200 volunteers help on the day of the Festival, selling beverages and t-shirts and working as cashiers and in the information booths. While producing the Festival takes a tremendous amount of work during the months leading up to the big day, the organizers could not physically run the various activities without the help of volunteers.

Please contact Carole Mostow at youth@shir-hadash.org if you are interested in getting a volunteer group together. Or you can sign up to volunteer for a shift at www.jewishfestival.org/volunteers.htm.

Carole Mostow

Youth Director

Musical Notes: Kolit

Kolit will perform at the assembly for the final day of Religious School this Sunday, May 5. Don't miss Kolit Director Arielle Galante and our children's choir!

Creative Worship & Ritual

Do You Really Have to Love Your Neighbor?

This Friday night, May 4, we explore one of the most important parts of the Torah and Judaism: the Golden Rule. The Torah portion includes the "Holiness Code," which contains the commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself." We will read Torah during the service, with several group aliyah blessings, so everyone that wants to come up for an aliyah can have one! Then we will have an interactive discussion about the many practical mitzvot set forth in this Torah portion, and their relevance to our lives today. What does it really mean to "love your neighbor as yourself" in 2012? Services will be held at 7:30 at LCHS.

We'll look forward to seeing you on Friday night. Don't forget to bring something for oneg!

Creative Worship & Ritual Committee

Adult Education

There will be no Adult Education classes this week because of the Annual Meeting.

Mitzvah

Learn How to Do the Mitzvah of Visiting the Sick

Bikur Cholim, visiting the sick, is one of the holiest of all mitzvot. Anyone who has ever had a family member in the hospital knows what great healing power even a short visit can provide. The Mitzvah Committee is looking for people who would like to participate in this great act.

The Mitzvah committee is continuing participating in the Bikur Cholim program that is being sponsored by the Jewish Healing Network. There is one more session next Tuesday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at B'nai Tikvah in Deerfield. Those who are interested should contact Bob Roiter at bob.roiter@sbcglobal.net.

Mitzvah Committee

We're looking for more Shiva leaders (adults and yes, even Havayah kids). If you are interested, please contact Bob Roiter

bob.roiter@sbcglobalnet.net.

Call for Volunteers

Wanted: Webmaster

We are looking for someone to maintain our Shir Hadash website. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Jeff Wallk at jeffrey.wallk@gmail.com.

Get Involved with the Spring Membership Drive

We're planning a lot of activities this spring to expand our membership. If you're interested in helping us grow, please call the office and ask for Lillian (847) 498-8218.

Community Events

Genetic Education and Screening Program

Registration is underway for the Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders upcoming screening programs for young Jewish adults. The Center is now offering an expanded panel of 18 disorders. Join the Center in June or August for a subsidized screening program ($180 per person), which includes an educational presentation, dinner, and screening.These tests usually cost more than $3,000! Pre-registration is required. Please contact Taryn Brickman at tarynbrickman@juf.org to learn more or visit www.jewishgenetics.org.

Donations

Rabbi's Discretionary Fund

Over the years, the number of people aided by this fund has reached the hundreds. They include fellow congregants; homeless individuals and families; disaster victims locally, in Israel, and various social causes and institutions that are devoted to an inclusive vision inspired by our Jewish values.Donations may be made to commemorate joyous occasions, or in response to troubles or sorrow. All are acknowledged in writing by our staff and rabbi. When donations are given in someone's honor, that person is also informed.

General Fund

Donations to this fund are used to offset consideration provided to members and offer special assistance to families in need. These contributions can be used to strengthen existing programs (Shabbat Services & Onegs) and underwrite free programs like Adult Education, Rabbi's Lunch & Learn.

Building Fund

This fund supports the ongoing upkeep and maintenance required to support a future building as Shir Hadash is actively pursuing opportunities for expanded office space, shared meeting space, improved space for worship & ritual, and educational facilities.

Educational Fund

Donations to this fund help us underwrite programs for special needs students, allows us to purchase media and explore new training materials. We are also looking to upgrade technology used to support and deliver programming for students. There are additional art supplies and creative aids to further expand the ways we reach students. We are also planning to enhance the Hebrew Lab and we also want to provide refreshments for the teachers, Madrachim, room parents, and for the Kolit.

Music & Arts Fund

Donations will help underwrite the future performances by our Kolit and Lahakah, develop new music, purchase existing music, support expanded music offerings in our education program and build on our existing repertoire of dance and creative performance.

SHOP

Shop for Mom! Celebrate Mom with Amazon, Overstock.Com, Barnes and Nobel, Bath and Body Works; Bed, Bath, and Beyond; Dicks; Great Clips; J. Jill; REI; Sports Authority; Target; Ulta; Walmart/Sam's; Fanny May; Best Buy; Home Depot; JoAnne Fabrics; Michaels; Darden and Lettuce Entertain You restaurants. Lettuce Entertain You restaurants are now available for purchase by credit card.

Save time and support Shir Hadash. Order gift cards instead of shopping for gifts. Dine out with gift cards. Just give us a click, call, or stop by the Shop table during Sunday School. Remember, Shop raises money for the congregation and you don't spend a dime more than you would have anyway! For more information on any these great programs contact Lise at info@basketworks.biz, or Gina at Gzinbarg@sbcglobal.net.

iGive

iGive is a free service which enables our members to earn money for their favorite cause whenever they make an online purchase or search the web. For more information, go to www.igive.com/shir-hadash.

Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Congregation

"The Creative Synagogue"

3340 Dundee Road Suite 2N4

Northbrook, Illinois 60062

Office: (847) 498-8218

Website: www.shir-hadash.org