For daily event updates, check our calendar. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Download the Shir Hadash App for Apple or Android
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
With an abundance of caution and to ensure the health and safety of our staff, the Synagogue building is closed at least through the duration of the Illinois shelter-in-place order.
Our devoted staff will be working from home and messages via phone and email will be responded to within 24 hours. If you need any assistance, you may call Marc Fargotstein at 847-612-6579 or contact Executive Director Nancy Kleine Kekst at 216-789-2452. The Rabbi is also available on his cell phone 847-525-7746 at any time.
Creative Worship and Ritual -- Services Online
- Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service, Friday May 15, 7:30 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner -- “You Shall Be Kind"
Religious Education
- Religious School e-Learning Last Day, May 17
- Adult Ed Programs Continue Online -- Open to All Members
- New Adult Ed Class: Modern Israel, begins May 24
- Worldwide Synagogue Sing, May 17
- Today! Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursdays
Membership News and Events
- Save the Date! Upcoming Events
- Virtual Family Board Game Afternoon, May 17
- Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema, Streams May 17-26
- Annual Meeting, June 14
- Book Club, June 18
- Shul Cloud Trainees Needed
- Upload a Photo to the Member Directory
- Adopt a Fern for the Summer
Social Action
- Mask Makers, Assemble!
- Teen Tutors Needed for Virtual Sessions
- Donations Needed: Recreational Activities for Foster Children
- Support Local Food Pantries via Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council
Support for Members
- Donations Support Members in Need
- Shir Hadash Member Business Directory
- Face Masks Available from Shir Hadash Office
Resources for Today
- Links to Help You and Your Family Work Safely, Take Care of Each Other, and Have Fun
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive
- Amazon Smile
- SHOP Shir Hadash
ZOOMing Kabbalat Shabbat Service, Friday, May 15, 7:30 pm - .
Let’s welcome Shabbat together with an on-line Kabbalat Shabbat service via ZOOM and Facebook. Rabbi Eitan will lead the service from his home with meditations, prayer, readings, story, and song. Reba Meshulam, Moth story slam winner, will share an exciting and touching story of isolation and redemption.
May 15-16, 2020 / 22 Iyar 5780 / Shabbat Behar-Behukotai
Torah: Leviticus 25:1 - 27:34 Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14
“You Shall Be Kind”
Times are difficult. Patience can easily be lost and tempers can flare. At times of stress and anxiety, we can easily act rashly and improperly. Twice in this week’s Torah portion appears the command, “You shall not wrong one another.” The commentators suggest that each repetition refers to a different kind of wronging - one being in business and the other being the words we speak to each other. Yet, we know that there are many, many ways in which we can wrong each other.
When I see these words, I think of the converse, i.e. “You shall be kind to one another.” Think of all the ways that we could be kind and helpful to our family, friends, and neighbors. Think of all the things we could do to make their lives easier, better, and more fulfilling. Think of all the mitzvot (righteous deeds) and acts of tikkun (healing and repair) that each one of us can do to make the world a better place. That is the essence of “You shall not wrong each other.” It is the converse – act with integrity, justice, and love. Be a mentsch.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Religious School e-Learning, May 17: It's the last day of the school year! Join in for regular classes as well as a special end-of-year virtual assembly. Families, watch your email for details.
Sunday Morning Adult Ed Programs: Online! All members are welcome to participate. Contact the class facilitator, below, for information.
- 10:00 a.m. -- Torah and Jewish Philosophy Class via ZOOM
- 11:00 a.m. -- Hebrew Reading Class via WebEx -- contact Steve Lewin.
- Sundays, 11:15 am to 12:25 pm
- Instructor: Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and guests
Today! Rabbi's Lunch and Learn via ZOOM, May 14 -- Anyone can participate! Join Rabbi Eitan and Shir Hadash members for an engaging discussion of this week's Torah portion.
Save These Dates for Shir Hadash Programs
- Mussar Study Group May 21, 7:30 pm
- Zoom Havdalah and Rabbi Concert May 23, 7:30 pm
- Zoom Shavuot Services and Study Session May 29, 7:00 pm
- Buffalo Grove Pride Drive-By Parade, June 7, 11:00 am
- Virtual Jewish Festival with David Broza June 7, 4:00 pm
- Shir Hadash Annual Meeting June 14, 10:45 am
- Meryl's Book Club "Henna House" June 18, 7:30 pm
Virtual Family Board Game Afternoon, Sunday May 17 -- Join FAC at our first “Play -In- Place” event on Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. RSVP to “meet” up with your Shir Hadash friends and families for a fun afternoon of virtual boardgames.
This event is absolutely free, but RSVP is necessary to determine our gaming options. We will use ZOOM and Board Game Arena (free to use- but registration on the site is required). More information and registration here! Questions to Elliott Simon.
Chicago Festival of Israeli Cinema Streaming May 17-26 -- English subtitles! Ten days of award-winning dramas and comedies, outstanding documentaries and binge-worthy TV from Israel. Get information here.
Annual Meeting, June 14 -- On Sunday, June 14, 2020 Shir Hadash will hold its annual meeting in a new format- VIRTUALLY! The ZOOM meeting will open at 10:45 am with a fun slide show, and the business meeting will be held from 11:00 - 12:15 am. This meeting is for members only.
In addition, we will be conducting virtual voting. Details and links for this process will be available soon. All of the meeting and voting information will also be sent to you electronically. Your ballot will be anonymous and available for a specific period of time. At the meeting, you will be asked to vote for candidates for open positions on the Board of Directors. You will have opportunities to hear from the candidates and ask them questions. Information about the candidates will be emailed to you in advance. In addition to leadership reports, we will also vote on the proposed operating budget for 2020-21.
If you are unable to be on the ZOOM meeting and wish to vote, please contact the Shir Hadash office, at 847/498-8218, or send an e-mail to admin@shir-hadash.org, and you will be sent an absentee ballot request form to fill out. After you complete and send back that form, an absentee ballot will be sent to you. All absentee ballots must be received by the Shir Hadash office no later than Tuesday, June 9, 2020.These are extraordinary times for our country and our synagogue. We encourage you to participate in this important meeting and voting process for Shir Hadash.
New Book Club Selection; Meeting June 18 -- Our new book club selection is the novel Henna House by Nomi Eve. The meeting on June 18 will be held via Zoom; links will be included in newsletters the preceding week. About the book: "This vivid saga begins in Yemen in 1920. Adela Damari’s parents’ health is failing as they desperately seek a future husband for their young daughter, who is in danger of becoming adopted by the local Muslim community if she is orphaned. With no likely marriage prospects, Adela’s situation looks dire—until she meets two cousins from faraway cities: a boy with whom she shares her most treasured secret, and a girl who introduces her to the powerful rituals of henna. Ultimately, Adela’s life journey brings her old and new loves, her true calling, and a new life as she is transported to Israel as part of Operation On Wings of Eagles. Rich, evocative, and enthralling, Henna House is an intimate family portrait interwoven with the traditions of the Yemenite Jews and the history of the Holocaust and Israel."
Shul Cloud Trainees Needed -- We are recruiting a core group of volunteers (aka computer geeks) who might want to learn how to update our Shul Cloud information by learning the CRM and how to create events, emails and create forms. If you are interested, contact Nancy Kekst. Training will start this summer.
Upload a family picture to our Member Directory -- You can edit your listing in the Member Directory by adding a photo. You can upload the photo yourself or send it to admin@shir-hadash.org. We want to see your smiling face!
Adopt a Fern for the Summer -- Lonely ferns are looking for good foster homes for the summer! Adopt Larry, Mo, Curly or Shep! Contact Rabbi Eitan for care and feeding instructions!.
SOCIAL ACTION
Stay Connected to Help! We are frequently adding new opportunities to help our neighbors, our community, and the world, so keep checking the weekly emails, the Shir Hadash newsletter, and the members-only Facebook group.
Mask Makers, Assemble (Remotely)! - Can you sew? Would you be interested in sewing masks? Do you have any fabric or elastic you could donate? Let's start sewing! We will all be needing masks for a long time. We are working with Kristen Levit and the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council to put together a group of people from all faith organizations to sew masks to donate to our constituents. We have the pattern and instructions If you can help. Contact Nancy Kekst or call the office at 847-498-8218.
Teen Tutors Needed for Virtual Sessions -- Connect Chicago is a teen-led organization that is now providing virtual tutoring for Chicago Public Schools students. If you are a high school or college student who might be interested in volunteering, click here.
Mask Makers, Assemble (Remotely)! - Can you sew? Would you be interested in sewing masks? Do you have any fabric or elastic you could donate? Let's start sewing! We will all be needing masks for a long time. We are working with Kristen Levit and the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council to put together a group of people from all faith organizations to sew masks to donate to our constituents. We have the pattern and instructions If you can help. Contact Nancy Kekst or call the office at 847-498-8218.
Teen Tutors Needed for Virtual Sessions -- Connect Chicago is a teen-led organization that is now providing virtual tutoring for Chicago Public Schools students. If you are a high school or college student who might be interested in volunteering, click here.
Recreational Activities Needed for Foster Children --Jewish Child and Family Services has requested recreational items to keep foster children engaged and enriched: glue/glue sticks, glitter, markers, scissors, white paper, crayons, adult coloring books, and kids activity books. JCFS also is accepting NEW toys, clothing and household items, especially:
Support Northwest Suburban Food Pantries -- a message from Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council: Our food pantries desperately need your help! Due to the continued issues with the coronavirus, many more of our neighbors are in need of food and everyday supplies. Please help us support our local food pantries either through monetary donations or purchasing of needed supplies. Download all the details here!- Art supplies (Play Doh, water color paint and paper, construction paper, and markers)
- Dolls with a variety of ethnicities
- Science themed/educational games
JCFS is unable to accept donations of furniture, computers, used clothing and used toys. All JCFS buildings are closed, so please contact Haley Zimmerman at (773) 467-3746 to make drop-off arrangements.
For more information on any of our programs, please contact us by e-mail or telephone: nwsinterfaith@gmail.com, 224-699-0386 or visit our website. Donations may be made directly to: Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council. PO Box 5301. Buffalo Grove, IL 60089.
Coronavirus Community Resources from JUF of Chicago - A good place to get help or give help, connect with others, or bust your boredom.
SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS
Donations for Congregants in Need: Shir Hadash has been receiving some anonymous contributions to help congregants who may be in need of food or meal delivery. Should you want to make a donation, email Nancy Kekst. If you are in need of food/services, email Rabbi Eitan.
Shir Hadash Member Business Directory – Click here to reach the Shir Hadash Member Business Directory, and please patronize member businesses if you can. If you would like to add your business to the page, there is a link on the right side you can click, or click here. Note: You must be a synagogue member and must be logged into the member portal to submit your listing.
Need a Mask? -- With thanks to the mighty sewers of Minnesota's Mask Mania 2020 group, we have received a donation of 100 cloth masks. If you need a mask, please email Karen Burnham in the office or call 847-498-8218.
RESOURCES FOR TODAY
Work-from-home tips during coronavirus – Five tips to help increase productivity and minimize distractions when working from home during the coronavirus.
Mrs. Maisel's Alex Borstein is having the most Jewish quarantine ever - The Emmy-winning actress has been housebound with her family in Barcelona—and getting nostalgic on Instagram about Jewish rituals from her childhood in Deerfield. From baking challah and re-using plastic wrap, to kvetching with her parents on Facetime— she’s worth the Follow.
And while you’re at it, check out this hilarious anthem of our times: “Maskmaker, Maskmaker”, sung by a veteran of two productions of Fiddler on the Roof.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
If you are home and shopping online, be sure to consider these resources. You can help support Shir Hadash AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU through these donation programs. We will need funds to help our congregants in need.
Help Shir Hadash Earn Free Donations with iGive --You can help Shir Hadash every time you shop online – the iGive Button makes it simple! iGive is a free and easy way to support the shul. Average shoppers using iGive raise between $30 and $100 a year for their causes. There are 2500 online retailers helping to make donations happen through iGive. Click here to learn more and join iGive. If you have questions, contact Sandi Schleicher, sschleicher@onebox.com.
Amazon Smile Fundraising Option -- Shir Hadash is registered with the Amazon Smile fundraising program. Just go to smile.amazon.com, search for Shir Hadash (be sure to select the one in Wheeling), and from then on 0.5% of your purchases will automatically be donated to Shir Hadash at no cost to you! To double-dip, just pay for your purchases with a ShopWithScrip Amazon gift card! Happy Shopping!
Shop with Scrip! 50,000 organizations use ShopWithScrip gift cards to turn everyday shopping into earnings. Now, Shir Hadash is using gift cards to offset our costs and create more opportunities for families. Shop at 750+ brands with gift cards to earn on gas, groceries, eating out, clothes—the list goes on. It’s easy, it’s rewarding, and it fits right into your busy schedule. Click here for complete details!
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