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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
For more information about our COVID-19 response plan,
please click here.
Our staff continues to work from home and the office as necessary. Messages via phone and email will receive a response 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.
Creative Worship and Ritual -- Services Online
- Zoom Shabbat Evening Service, August 14, 7:30 p.m.
- High Holidays Schedule Online -- Register by August 15!
- Services Next Week
- Zoom Shabbat Evening Service, August 21, 7:30 p.m.
- Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service via Zoom, August 22, 9:30 a.m.
- Drive-In Havdalah at Shir Hadash Parking Lot, August 22, 7:30 p.m.
The Rabbi’s Corner -- "Rejoice"
Religious Education
- Important Update! School Registration and Voluntary Commitment Model
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Programs Continue Online
- Torah and Jewish Philosophy
- Hebrew Reading
- Modern Israel
- Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursdays
Membership News and Events
- Congregational Survey Available Now – Closes Sunday!
- Membership Renewal Forms Available Online
- Honoring 2019-2020 Haverim Society Members
- Sunday! Virtual Bingo, August 16 -- Registration ends tonight!
- Sunday! FAC Meeting, August 16
- Next Thursday! Book Club, August 20
- Shir HaNosh TV: Recap and Next Episode Announcement
Social Action
- Thank You for Supporting Student-Led Food Drive
- Provide Necessary School Supplies for Students in Need
- ORT Resale Shop Accepting Donations
- Donations Needed to Help Homeless Individuals
Support for Members
- Food Distribution for Veterans, August 14
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive
- Amazon Smile
- SHOP Shir Hadash
Zooming Kabbalat Shabbat – “Reconstructionist Philosophy 101: Seeking Community - Jewish Peoplehood for the 21st Century" Friday, August 14, 7:30 p.m. -- Shabbat Re’eh -- Let’s welcome Shabbat together with an on-line Kabbalat Shabbat service via ZOOM. Rabbi Eitan will lead the service from his home with meditations, prayer, readings, story, and song. The Rabbi will teach how Reconstructionist Judaism is all about creating a Contemporary style of Judaism that is Sensible, Meaningful and Enriching – a modern Judaism that continues to evolve with the times and keep in step with the reality of our lives. Tell your friends about this exciting Shabbat experience.
High Holidays Schedule and Registration Now Available: Register by August 15 -- The High Holidays are approaching! Shir Hadash will be holding all of our customary services, this year via Zoom due to COVID-19. Each registered member will receive a unique viewing code. Visit our website for complete information about services and registration. (You will need to log into Shul Cloud to access member information.) Prayerbook order forms are available as well. Please remember that you must be a member in good standing with up-to-date payments in order to register for High Holidays. If you have any questions about High Holiday services, contact the Creative Worship & Ritual Committee at cwr@shir-hadash.org.
Mark Your Calendar! Shir Hadash Services Next Week:
Zoom Shabbat Evening Service - “Reconstructionist Philosophy 201: Seeking God - Jewish Spirituality for the 21st Century” Shabbat Shoftim, August 21, 7:30 p.m. -- Don’t miss our annual exploration of Reconstructionist theology - Recon 201. Throughout the course of our worship, Rabbi Eitan will offer explanations on what Reconstructionism teaches about the meaning of prayer and what we mean when we pray to God.”
Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service via Zoom, August 22, 9:30 a.m.
Drive-In Havdalah, August 22, 7:30 p.m. -- Let’s end the Shabbat together with a brief Havdalah service in our synagogue parking lot. Wave to your friends as Rabbi Eitan leads the service outdoors. Social distancing, stay in your cars, and no bathrooms. Just a nice way to get together during this difficult time. (For those who cannot or do not wish to attend in person, a Zoom link will be provided.)
To comply with our region's public health rules, we must cap attendance at 50 people total (not 50 cars!). Register the number of people in your party here. First come, first served. You must register by Wednesday, August 20! Those not registered will not be allowed to attend. You cannot attend if you feel ill, have COVID-19 virus symptoms, have had a positive COVID-10 viral test, or have had direct exposure to a COVID-19-infected person.
Please arrive between 7:15 and 7:30. Volunteers will show you where to park. You will need to turn your engine off after arrival, and until departure. And, you will need to wear a mask anytime that your windows are open. If there are weather issues, we will send out an alert as to postponement or cancellation.
August 14-15, 2020 / 15 Av 5780 / Shabbat Re’eh
Torah: Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17 Haftarah: Isaiah 54:11 - 55:5
“Rejoice”
Dear Friends,
In biblical times, the three main festivals were Passover, Sukkot, and Shavu'ot. Only later did the other festivals become more important. In this week’s Torah portion, we are commanded to rejoice during the holidays of Sukkot and Shavu'ot. However, nowhere does it say that we are to rejoice during the celebration of Passover. The rabbinic sages noticed this and offered the following explanation in the work called Yalku Shimoni:
Why is joy commanded for Shavuot and Sukkot, but not for Pesach? Why is the full Hallel said on Sukkot, but only half Hallel on Pesach? Because of the Egyptians who died, as it says, “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls.” (Proverbs 24:17)
Judaism is a tradition of kindness and compassion.
Zay a mentsch -- be a good person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Read past editions of The Rabbi's Corner on the Shir Hadash website here.
Update! Religious School Registration and Voluntary Commitment Model: This year the Synagogue has moved to a Voluntary Commitment Model for grades Kindergarten through 7th grade. Please click here for an explanation. We are working diligently to complete the necessary registration materials to ensure a smooth and easy enrollment process which should be ready within a week. We will email everyone with the necessary link to register all school students, including Madrichimot (8th grade through 12th grade), once the enrollment forms are completed. Stay tuned!
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 via ZOOM . Contact Fred Andes for details.
- 11:00 a.m. -- Hebrew Reading via WebEx -- contact Steve Lewin.
- 11:15 a.m. -- Modern Israel: Incredible History and Awesome Guests via Zoom Contact Rabbi Eitan for more information.
Rabbi's Lunch and Learn, Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.-- The Rabbi's Lunch and Learn discussions resume this week. Join an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion via Zoom.
Congregational Survey Available Now –Closes Sunday! You should have received an email on Sunday, August 9 that contained this link to the current Survey, which covers questions regarding services and programming, both in-person and virtual. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey. We welcome your comments and/or concerns. Your individual responses will be held in strict confidence, and will be anonymously addressed at the Town Hall Meeting later this month. The survey will close on Sunday, August 16 at 8:00 pm.
Membership Forms Available Online -- Shir Hadash's 2020-21 Membership Forms are open. Click this link to renew your membership, become a new member, or register your children for Religious School (see note above). Paper registration forms are available for those that need them. Please call the synagogue at 847-498-8218 to request forms or ask any questions.
Honoring 2019-20 Members of the Haverim Society -- The Haverim (Friends) Society is comprised of those Shir Hadash members whose 2019-2020 Voluntary Commitment was at least 10% greater than the dues those members paid the year before. It is with great thanks that we honor these members who were so generous in their financial support of Shir Hadash. We hope that they and other members will increase their Voluntary Commitment this year by at least 10% over last year's and join the Haverim Society for the 2020-2021 year. Again, thank you to all. Please use this link to the members-only portion of our website to learn the names of these members and to honor their generosity.
Virtual Bingo, August 16 -- Enjoy a game of Bingo from the comfort of your home! Please invite family and friends to join us on Sunday, August 16 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Chana Sulpar will host this free Family Activity Committee event, and Kyle Sulpar will be the caller of the Bingo numbers. Please register here by midnight August 13 to receive a Bingo card and Zoom link!
Family Activity Committee (FAC) Meeting, August 16 -- Please join us for a brief Zoom meeting at noon on Sunday to help plan youth and family social activities. RSVP to Elliott Simon for the Zoom info.
Book Club Meets August 20 -- Our next book club Zoom meeting will be next Thursday, August 20. 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.
Shir HaNosh TV: Recap and Next Episode Announcement – Last Sunday, for the premiere of Shir HaNosh TV (our brand-new, member-led cooking network), Reba Meshulam taught a phenomenal Zoom cooking class in making tadelicoos -- crunchy, round cookies from the Sephardic Jewish repertoire. Lots of Shir Hadashniks, friends, and family tuned in to watch, and many baked along!
Save the date for our next episode: Shir HaNosh TV: Beautiful Blintzes, Sunday, Sept. 13, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Bev Lieberman will demonstrate her family blintz recipe! Blintzes are a perfect part of a Yom Kippur break-the-fast meal. Bev will teach us how to make this classic Ashkenazi dish and will tell us about her family's cooking history. Questions? Contact Melanie at fmandes@comcast.net.
SOCIAL ACTION
ORT Welcomes Clothing Donations - ORT Resale Shop, 1710 First Street in Highland Park, is once again accepting clothing donations on Mondays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please bring donations to the back of the building.
Donations Help Suburban Homeless Individuals -- JOURNEYS: The Road Home provides shelter and services to those who are homeless or at risk in suburban Cook County. They welcome donations of food items, cleaning supplies and seasonal clothing. Detailed information is available here or on their Amazon wishlist. Donations can be left at the rear entrance at 1140 E. Northwest Hwy. in Palatine, Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS
Free Groceries for Veterans, August 14 -- If you are a veteran and need food assistance, Northern Illinois Food Bank will distribute free groceries to veterans on Friday, August 14, 12pm-1:30pm at Midwest Veterans Closet, 2323 Green Bay Road, North Chicago. A volunteer wearing protective gear will place the box and/or bag of groceries in your vehicle. You will not be allowed to exit your car. Food will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, while supplies last.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
If you are home and shopping online, be sure to consider these donation programs that support Shir Hadash at no extra cost to you!
iGive -- There are 2500 online retailers helping to make donations happen through iGive. Click here to learn more. or contact Sandi Schleicher, sschleicher@onebox.com.
Amazon Smile -- Amazon will automatically donate 0.5% of your purchase to when you sign up at smile.amazon.com. Be sure to select "Shir Hadash Reconstructionist Synagogue-Congregation Shir Hadash" in Wheeling as your charity of choice.
Shop with Scrip -- ShopWithScrip gift cards are available for more than 750+ brands and each purchase provides a donation to Shir Hadash. Click here for complete details!
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