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 due to the pandemic until further notice. For more information about our COVID-19 response plan, please click here.
Our devoted staff will be working from home during regular hours, and will respond to messages via phone and email within 24 hours. If you need any assistance, you may call Marc Fargotstein at 847-612-6579 or contact Office Administrator Karen Burnham at 847-714-6946. The Rabbi is also available on his cell phone 847-525-7746 at any time.
The synagogue staff will not be working over the July 4th holiday weekend. In case of an emergency, you can reach Rabbi Eitan at 847-525-7746, or Marc Fargotstein at 847-612-6579.
Creative Worship and Ritual -- Services Online
- No Shabbat Services July 3-4
The Rabbi’s Corner
Religious Education
- Adult Ed Programs Continue Online -- Open to All Members
- No Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi Today, July 2
- Worldwide Synagogue Sing, July 5
Membership News and Events
- Family Game Night via Zoom, July 18
- Institutional Racism & History of Racism in the US, July 19 and 26
- Book Club New Selection; Meeting August 20
- Smile! Special Family Photo Session Opportunity
- Camp Havaya@Home
Social Action
- Support Weekend Food Boxes for School District 21 Families
- You've Cleaned Your Closets -- Now Donate Your Stuff!
- Helping Chicagoans via the Greater Chicago Food Depository
Support for Members
- State Program Assists with Utility Payments and Household Needs
- Fresh Produce Distribution
- Donations Support Members in Need
- Shir Hadash Member Business Directory
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive
- Amazon Smile
- SHOP Shir Hadash
No Shabbat Services July 3 and 4 -- We hope you enjoy celebrating Shabbat at home, and have a fun and safe July 4!
THE RABBI’S CORNER
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.
No Rabbi's Lunch and Learn on July 2 -- Join the Rabbi next week, July 9, for an engaging discussion of the week's Torah portion via Zoom.
Worldwide Synagogue Sing, Sunday mornings -- Kudos to our Education Director Rachel Goldberg for creating and streaming the Worldwide Synagogue Sing. If you 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. We'll be doing it each Sunday while the shutdown continues -- you only need to register once.
Family Game Night via Zoom, July 18 -- The Family Activity Committee is getting ready to host our next "Let's Play" event. We will be playing board games virtually on July 18, starting at 7:00 p.m. in an all-ages event. Since our games can be number dependent, we need to know how many people will be playing with us. Registration will open soon -- please register via Shul Cloud for each device you will be using to log in. As always, children younger than 12 will need to be accompanied by an adult. Once you've registered, watch for an email with the evening's menu of events. Please direct all questions to elliott.simon@rocketmail.com.
Institutional Racism & History of Racism in the US: 2-part virtual class on July 19 and 26 -- "There are No Racist Americans; It's Just Racist America." What does Rabbi Amram Abraham mean by this statement? In this 2-part class, he will talk about institutional racism and the history of racism in the U.S. The class is designed to help participants understand how racism has evolved from slavery into the structured racism of contemporary America. Institutional racism is structured in a way that American communities can preserve racism without being perceived as actual racists. Participants will explore the evolution of racism in today's business language as well as the pedagogy of our educational system, all of which lead to the acceptance, defense, and overall expectation of racism. The classes will occur 11:15am-12:30pm on July 19 and 26. Zoom link will be distributed as the date approaches. Registration is appreciated here. This program is free; voluntary contributions are welcomed to cover program costs. If you would like to donate, click here, select Social Action from the dropdown list, and write Antiracism Programs in the payment notes. Email our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely, at SocialActionSH@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Book Club: New Selection -- Our next book club Zoom meeting will be on August 20; watch the weekly newsletter for updated information and links. We will discuss The Weight of Ink, a novel by Rachel Kadish. Set in London of the 1660s and of the early twenty-first century, The Weight of Ink is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history. As the novel opens, Helen has been summoned by a former student to view a cache of seventeenth-century Jewish documents newly discovered in his home during a renovation. Enlisting the help of Aaron Levy, an American graduate student as impatient as he is charming, and in a race with another fast-moving team of historians, Helen embarks on one last project: to determine the identity of the documents’ scribe, the elusive “Aleph.”
Camp Havaya@Home, Sunday, July 12 – Saturday, July 25 : "Safe at home, hearts at camp." All Havaya@Home programs will be online, primarily via Zoom and Facebook Live. Approximately five programs will be offered daily, geared to appeal to a wide variety of kids. While most sessions will be one-time opportunities, kids can choose to participate in as many (or as few) as they'd like. There will also be week-long art studios for which interested young artists can register in advance. Havaya@Home programs are primarily intended for entering third through ninth graders with additional opportunities for younger kids and older teens. All are free and open to Havaya campers, as well as members of Reconstructionist congregations, and those in the wider community who share our values and want to have fun. More details, including schedules and sign-on information, will be available in late June.
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.
Help Local Families Struggling with Food Insecurity -- There are local families hit hard by the economic downturn who are struggling to have enough food. Local school district 21 - serving parts of Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Northbrook, and unincorporated Cook County - needs financial assistance with providing weekend family food boxes. If you would like to help feed local families, click here.
Get Unwanted Items Out of Your Home, and Donate to Those Who Would Appreciate Them! Many nonprofits have resumed accepting donations. If you've been cleaning out your closets and garage, consider giving to one of these local organizations so someone in need can enjoy the items. Click here for a list of suggested organizations and items they are currently accepting. Please check their websites for updated information.
Helping Chicagoans via the Greater Chicago Food Depository-- Property destruction and looting have led to more small businesses needing to shut their doors, compounding the economic struggles many Chicago business owners and their employees already were facing due to COVID-19. The Greater Chicago Food Depository will be an even-more important resource for those struggling to have enough food. To learn more or to make a donation, click here.
SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS
CJE Assistance for Seniors in Need -- CJE SeniorLife now has COVID relief funds available for individuals who are facing financial challenges as a result of the pandemic. Applicants must be Illinois residents aged 55 or over, or have a disability qualifying for SSI/SSDI benefits. Learn more at (773) 508-1100.Help Local Families Struggling with Food Insecurity -- There are local families hit hard by the economic downturn who are struggling to have enough food. Local school district 21 - serving parts of Wheeling, Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Northbrook, and unincorporated Cook County - needs financial assistance with providing weekend family food boxes. If you would like to help feed local families, click here.
Get Unwanted Items Out of Your Home, and Donate to Those Who Would Appreciate Them! Many nonprofits have resumed accepting donations. If you've been cleaning out your closets and garage, consider giving to one of these local organizations so someone in need can enjoy the items. Click here for a list of suggested organizations and items they are currently accepting. Please check their websites for updated information.
Helping Chicagoans via the Greater Chicago Food Depository-- Property destruction and looting have led to more small businesses needing to shut their doors, compounding the economic struggles many Chicago business owners and their employees already were facing due to COVID-19. The Greater Chicago Food Depository will be an even-more important resource for those struggling to have enough food. To learn more or to make a donation, click here.
SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS
New Program: Assistance with Utility Bills, Rent, Food, and More -- Governor J.B Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) have launched a new program to provide home energy aid and other services during COVID-19. People who are eligible may receive assistance to cover costs of utility bills, rent, temporary shelter, food, and other household needs. To submit a pre-application, visit the Help Illinois Families website.
Fresh Produce for Families! - For those in need, free boxes of fresh produce will be handed out every Thursday starting June 25th and running through August 27th from 12:30pm – 5:30pm (while supplies last) at London Middle School, 1001 W. Dundee Road in Wheeling. Any area resident is eligible to participate in this program. There will be no need to get out of your car as the box of produce will be placed directly in the trunk of the car. No ID is needed. Participants will simply be asked to provide their name, address and family size. The information provided is kept strictly confidential as this information will be used only by the Food Depository to apply for and allocate funding for programs like this. This program is provided by CCSD21 in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
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 Karen Burnham. 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.
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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