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
- Shavuot Service and Study Session via Zoom, Friday May 29, 7:00 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner: “Food for the Hungry"
Religious Education
- Adult Ed Programs Continue Online -- Open to All Members
- New Adult Ed Class: Modern Israel
- Today! Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursdays
- Worldwide Synagogue Sing, May 31
Membership News and Events
- Save the Date! Upcoming Events
- Annual Meeting, June 14
- Book Club, June 18
- Upload a Photo to the Member Directory
Social Action
- Make Get Well Cards for Hospital Patients in Isolation
- 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
- SNAP Now Allows Online Food Shopping in Illinois
- Shir Hadash Member Business Directory
- Face Masks Available from Shir Hadash Office
Resources for Today
- Shavuot All Night Learning, Plus More Links to Help You Work Safely, Take Care of Each Other, and Have Fun
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive
- Amazon Smile
- SHOP Shir Hadash
SURVEY NOTE: Thank you to everyone who completed the congregational survey. We expect to issue a report soon.
Shavuot Service and Discussions, Friday May 29, 7:00 p.m. --
Shavuot marks the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. The Ten Commandments are read in synagogues, just as they were in the desert on Mt. Sinai over 3,300 years ago. At Shir Hadash, we will celebrate our first virtual Shavuot next Shabbat with Shavuot services, and special programs, including discussion sessions, an ice cream social for Kids, and Shavuot recipes at our Zoom oneg!
The Program (Same Zoom link for everything)
7:00 pm: Short Shavuot festival service
Then we will break into Zoom rooms, one for kids and a choice for adults:
Kids Program (Note: as we are all using the same Zoom link, your kids will need to be on a separate device)
7:30pm: Education Director Rachel will be sharing an awesomely cool story/discussion while we collectively create our Mt. Sinai Ice Cream Social Mountain (bring your favorite ice cream, toppings and creativity). Share your creations and hang out with your friends (Will we laugh, sing, dance or be silly? Of course!). If there is time, maybe we can convince Rachel to teach us some silly improv games. Thank you to the Family Activity Committee (FAC) for the ice cream social idea!
Adult Program Options:
7:30 pm: Choose ONE of three sessions
- Suzie Sabransky: A Modern 10 Commandments
- Steve Perlis: Being Jewish in the Military
- David Liebling: King Herod
- Rabbi Eitan: Rabbis vs. Priests: What is the Real Date of Shavuot?
- Chana Sulpar: CJE SeniorLife
- Michele Rose: Doing Dairy on Shavuot
What you need to do so we can set up the rooms!
PLEASE email Karen Burnham with your ZOOM username and which of the options you will follow:
- Do you want the kids room?
- 7:30 Study Sessions - Which session do you want?
- 8:00 Study Sessions - Which session do you want?
Shabbat Shavuot
Torah: Exodus 19:1-20:23 and Numbers 28:26-31
Haftarah: Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12
Book of Ruth
Dear Friends,
What does the Bible say about providing food for the hungry and the poor? During the quickly approaching festival of Shavuot, we read the book of Ruth. Ruth is a Moabite woman who marries into an Israelite family and moves to the Land of Israel. During one section of the book, the wheat harvest begins with much celebration and fanfare. What makes it so special is the description of how the harvest unfolds. First, the landowner and the farmworkers form a line across the field and slowly make their way forward cutting the wheat and gathering it into sheaves. As they make forward progress, a second line forms behind them comprised of the hungry and the poor. Anything dropped, overlooked, or forgotten by the initial line of harvesters becomes the leftover ‘gleanings.’ These gleanings are free-pickings and fully available to those following behind. By the end of the day, the field will surely be picked clean with most of it going to the farmer and the remnants going to the poor. In addition to the gleanings, the edges and corners of the fields are to be left unharvested by the farmers. All of the produce coming from these areas goes completely to the hungry and the poor.
We still have food-insecurity today, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. I urge you to respond to the message of the book of Ruth by sharing food with the local food pantries. This is how we gather the gleanings for the hungry. At this time of celebration, we must do our part to see that all have food and that no one goes hungry.
Zay a Mentsch – Be a Good Person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
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 28 -- Anyone can participate! Join Rabbi Eitan and Shir Hadash members for an engaging discussion of this week's Torah portion.
Worldwide Synagogue Sing, Sunday mornings -- Kudos to our Education Director Rachel Goldberg for creating and streaming the Worldwide Synagogue Sing. If you are a Jewish Sunday School Student, Parent, or Educator and want to sing with your friends and family near and far, join in Sundays at 10:00 am Chicago time for the Worldwide Synagogue Sing - a chance for school age kids to connect virtually for meaningful and creative Jewish experience. Perfect for family participation. Click here to sign up and register for this weekly program and watch for it as SH students will receive Avodah credit for participating! We'll be doing it each Sunday while the shutdown continues -- you only need to register once.
- Buffalo Grove Pride Drive-By Parade, June 7, 12:00 to 3:00 pm
- 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
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.
Meryl's 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."
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!
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.
Make Get-Well Cards for Hospitalized Patients in Isolation -- Cheer up hospital patients who are in isolation. You can email or drop off a get-well card, and it will be laminated and delivered to a hospital. Draw/color a card no larger than 8.5x11 inches. Drop it off at PostNet, 825 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, or take a picture/scan your card and send it to Graphics.IL106@PostNet.com and PostNet will print and laminate the card for you.
Teen Tutors Needed for Virtual Sessions -- It's Not Too Late! Connect Chicago is a teen-led organization that is now providing virtual tutoring for Chicago Public Schools students. CPS's school year runs until June 18, so there is still a need for tutors for the next few weeks. If you are a high school or college student who might be interested in volunteering, click here.
Make Get-Well Cards for Hospitalized Patients in Isolation -- Cheer up hospital patients who are in isolation. You can email or drop off a get-well card, and it will be laminated and delivered to a hospital. Draw/color a card no larger than 8.5x11 inches. Drop it off at PostNet, 825 S. Waukegan Road, Lake Forest, or take a picture/scan your card and send it to Graphics.IL106@PostNet.com and PostNet will print and laminate the card for you.
Teen Tutors Needed for Virtual Sessions -- It's Not Too Late! Connect Chicago is a teen-led organization that is now providing virtual tutoring for Chicago Public Schools students. CPS's school year runs until June 18, so there is still a need for tutors for the next few weeks. 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.
Please note that The ARK is not currently accepting food pantry donations.
Map of food pantries in Lake County.
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.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Permits Online Food Shopping in Illinois -- Starting June 2, SNAP will allow online food shopping in Illinois! This change was made due to COVID-19, but the option will be permanent. Want to find out if you qualify for SNAP benefits or wish to learn more about the program? Check out the USDA's website.
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.
RESOURCES FOR TODAY
Shavuot All Night Learning, May 28/29 --The Reconstructionist movement’s Shavuot All Night Learning is a Tikkun Leyl Shavuot (an all-night study of Torah in its broadest sense.) It will bring together teachers, performers, learners, students, creatives and seekers across the globe into each other’s homes to celebrate the holiday. Starting with a Kabbalat Hag/Song Fest on Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. CDT, musical leaders will welcome the holiday with original songs and traditional compilations, and will light both a memorial candle and holiday candles to welcome in the festival. Shortly after, we will present a series of live teachings through 7:30 a.m. PDT on Friday, May 29. Presenters include such eminent teachers as Rabbi Sandy Sasso, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld and poet Marcia Falk. Offerings include text study, storytelling, meditations and artistic expressions. Dawn will be welcomed through movement and a puppet show. Teachers will be joining from Israel and across North America, making this a truly global celebration. The complete schedule of sessions is available here. All are welcome to participate for as much or as little of the program as they are able, either by registering for the Zoom webinar or by viewing through Reconstructing Judaism’s Facebook page.
Special Tony Awards June 7
Planting a Quarantine Garden
Every 2020 Movie Coming Early to On Demand
Fitness Challenge to Support the Nation’s Front Line Workers
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!
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website.
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