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High Holidays Services: Thank You!
The Shir Hadash Board extends much-deserved thanks to the many people who made this year’s High Holiday Zoom services such a great success. Particularly we thank the Rabbi, Fred Andes and the entire creative ritual and worship committee, Jerry Weiss, Barry Cain, Mickey Herbin, Dave Levit, Lisa Settler, Jennifer Bernover, Alan Bernover, Harry Goldman, Steve Lewin, Lynn Liebling, David Liebling, Diane German, Sandi Schleicher, Kayla Shonberg, Lise Schleicher, Caryn McArdle, Barry Cain, Glenn Graff, Paul Vaysberg, Elliott Simon, Scarlett Andes, Mitchell Green, Marc Fargotstein, guest presenters Dr. Jeffery Vergo and Art Shriberg, members of Lahaka, dance performers Melanie Andes, Rebecca Rice, Jeff Justman, Mike O’Mara, and Stacey Zenn; Torah readers, and everyone who did a reading. Thank you also to our staff, Education Director Rachel Goldberg and Administrator Karen Burnham, and to Tovah Goodman who ran our children's programming.
High Holiday Appeal
Shir Hadash's 2020 High Holidays services were as beautiful and moving as ever. We appreciate your contribution to our Yom Kippur Appeal. If you have not had the opportunity to participate or had problems connecting on Monday, here's the link to submit your donation. (If you are a Shir Hadash member, please log in before making your contribution.) Please contact our Administrator Karen Burnham, admin@shir-hadash.org if you have any questions. Thank you for your support of Shir Hadash as we start the new year together!
And now, on to this week's news!
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
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. For more information about our COVID-19 response plan, click here.
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Zoom Multigenerational Shabbat Sukkot Service, Friday October 2, 7:00 p.m.
- Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service, Saturday October 3, 10:00 a.m.
- Zoom Simchat Torah Service, Friday October 9, 7:00 p.m.
- High Holiday Services: Thank You!
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Ushpizin: Welcoming Guests"
Religious School and Adult Education
- Religious School Preparation Looking Great!
- School Registration Still Open
- Religious School Starts October 18
- Family Info Session, October 11
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Programs This Week
- Lunch & Learn with the Rabbi, Thursdays
Membership News and Events
- Yom Kippur Appeal Link
- Sunday! Shir HaNosh TV: Hummus in Your Hut, October 4
- Affy Tapples for Simchat Torah, Order by October 7
- Mussar Study Group, October 8
- Book Club, October 15
- Virtual Travel to Jewish History Sites with David Liebling, October 21
- Save the Date! Israeli Movie Discussion, The Women's Balcony, October 24
- New! Cookies, Crafts & Kibbitzing for Grades 5-7, October 25
Social Action and Social Justice
- Luggage for Freedom: Drop Off Dignity Bags October 1-8
- New! JCC Social Action Film Discussion: They Ain't Ready for Me, October 14
Support for Members
- Free Groceries for Veterans, October 9
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive
- Amazon Smile
- SHOP Shir Hadash
Multigenerational Shabbat Sukkot Service, Friday October 2, 7:00 p.m. “To Everything there is a Season” -- Rabbi Eitan will lead the Zoom service from his home sukkah. Families are encouraged to join from their own sukkah, porch, yard. At this special Shabbat Sukkot service we will sing special Sukkot songs and watch a puppet show about the lulav and etrog. We’ll read selections from the book of Ecclesiastes. Through these verses we come to appreciate the vastness of the universe and all that the natural world gives us.
Shabbat Morning Bar Mitzvah Service, Saturday October 3 (No Zoom stream.) Mazel tov to Matthew!
Next Week! Family & Community Zoom Shabbat Simchat Torah Celebration, Friday October 9, 7:00 p.m. The Jewish festival of Simchat Torah celebrates our love for our Jewish tradition of learning and studying sacred scripture, the Torah. This is a great family holiday celebration! We will read the last few lines of the Torah and then the first few lines, thus finishing and beginning our study anew. And of course, we will dance, and have taffy apples! We’ll have joyous klezmer music played on the Zoom screen, and you can dance to it at home - but also make sure to order your taffy apples (see details below), and then pick them up from the synagogue on Thursday, October 8, so you can enjoy them on Zoom with everyone else on Friday night!
October 2-3, 2020 / 15 Tishrei 5781 / Shabbat Sukkot
Torah: Leviticus 22:26-23:44 / Haftarah: Zechariah 14:1-21
“Ushpizin – Welcoming Guests”
Dear Friends,
There is a profoundly mystical side to the Sukkot festival that begins this evening. It is found in the tradition of ‘Ushpizin’ or inviting ‘spiritual’ guests into our sukkah to join our celebration. While the sukkah, a fragile dwelling, represents the temporary homes of our ancestors in ancient times. With Ushpizin, we call upon our ancestors’ strength, vision and hope and invite them to dwell with us during our week-long observance. Each evening, different guests are invited, such as Abraham & Sarah, Isaac & Rebecca, Jacob & Leah, Moses & Chana, etc. We can also call upon our own relatives and friends, either deceased or living, but not able to be present, to join us spiritually in the sukkah.
For the kabbalists, each of the Biblical guests are linked to the ‘sfirot,’ the hidden spiritual structures of God’s presence that provide guidance, influence and direction for all life. Through Ushpizin, we invoke those spiritual qualities that add meaning to our lives as we welcome our spiritual guests. Through the custom of inviting spiritual guests into our sukkah, we are enacting two of the greatest values of our Jewish tradition – hospitality and reverence for ancestors.
As we gather in sukkot during this time of COVID-19, stay safe and healthy. If you can, find a safe way to invite friends and family to visit. Then, take a few moments to welcome the spirits of our relatives and ancestors into our celebrations. We stand on their shoulders. They have given us so much.
Shabbat Shalom and Hag Same’ach,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Read past editions of The Rabbi's Corner on the Shir Hadash website here.
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL & ADULT EDUCATION
Our Religious School Faculty is having sooo much fun preparing for the school year! Check out these photos from our faculty meeting a few weeks ago... we were experimenting with fun games that will engage our learners in mind, body, heart, and spirit. Here we are dressed up as "Characters from the Bible" AND as "Jewish Foods." Can you tell who/what each of us is?
School Registration is STILL OPEN! To register - Parents need to complete two forms - the Tuition Commitment form and the School Registration form (in addition to your annual Membership Renewal). This registration process is for all grades, K-7 as well as Madrichim, Grades 8-12.
School will start on Sunday, October 18! We will be meeting via Zoom from 10:15 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
Adult Ed Sunday Morning Programs: Adults are welcome to join in the following adult education programs on Sunday mornings:
- 10:00 a.m. -- Torah and Jewish Philosophy via ZOOMContact Fred Andes for details. Call in number is 312 626 6799.
- 11:00 a.m. -- Hebrew Reading via WebEx -- contact Steve Lewin.
Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays -- Join an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion . Lunch and Learn meets via Zoom on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.
Sunday! Shir HaNosh TV: Hummus in Your Hut! October 4 -- Join us in the virtual kitchen from 5:00-6:00 pm on Sunday, October 4 for a special Sukkot episode of Shir HaNosh TV: Hummus in Your Hut! Rabbi Eitan will teach us how to make his unique hummus recipe, a perfect meal to enjoy outside in a sukkah or just in the great outdoors! As always, you can cook along or sit back and enjoy the show. Click here to see the ingredient list and RSVP to be sent the Zoom link. Questions? Contact Melanie at fmandes@comcast.net.
Affy Tapples for Simchat Torah: Order by October 7, pickup on October 8 -- Celebrate Simchat Torah with delicious Affy Tapples! Reserve your free treats here by October 7. On the pickup day (Oct. 8, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.), drive to Shir Hadash for a contactless pickup so you can enjoy your Affy Tapples at home for our Simchat Torah service the next day. Our volunteers will be wearing appropriate PPE and are looking forward to seeing you! Please remember to wear a mask during your pickup.
There is no fee for the Affy Tapples- just let us know how many of each kind (plain or peanut) you'd like to pick up!
Mussar Study Group, October 8 -- Mussar is a centuries old Jewish body of teachings, a perspective, and a disciplined practice that provides distinctively Jewish answers to the sorts of questions any thinking person asks about life. Our monthly Zoom discussion will be held Thursday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact Lynn Liebling.
Book Club's Next Selection: Meeting October 15 -- Book Club's next selection is Farewell to Salonica: City at the Crossroads by Leon Sciaky, a memoir of growing up in Salonica, a diverse city of the Ottoman Empire, on the eve of World War I. Join in our lively conversation on October 15 at 7:30pm. Zoom link will be sent out the week of the meeting. Click here for more information.
Save the Date! Virtual Travels with David Liebling to Sites of Jewish History, October 21 – You’re invited to take a virtual trip exploring Jewish history in a new series that premieres Wednesday, October 21 at 7:30 pm! For our first destination, we're headed to Amsterdam, a flowering city in the 17th century that welcomed Jews fleeing persecution. David Liebling will bring his extensive research and travel experience to lead us on a tour of this fascinating city and its history. Click here to learn more and to RSVP. Zoom link will be sent closer to the event.
Save the Date! "Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies" Film Discussion, October 24 -- On Oct. 24 from 8-9pm, we're kicking off our new series, Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies! Our first film is The Women's Balcony, a gentle Israeli comedy about women speaking truth to power. Watch the film at your leisure anytime before the event, and then we'll meet virtually for a discussion led by member Burton Kopulsky. Click here to read about the movie, find out how to watch it, and to RSVP for the discussion!
New! Cookies, Crafts & Kibbitzing for Grades 5-7, October 25 -- Calling all 5-7th graders! Bring your paper, pens, crafting materials and your favorite snack to our Cookies, Crafts, and Kibbitzing on Sunday, October 25 at 1:00 p.m. Learn about a fun craft - Micrography (using a word or sentence only) to create an awesome artwork. We will do a quick overview of this ancient Jewish artform while we snack. Then we will open the floor to share our work, ideas about future activities, or just hang out. Looking forward to seeing you there! Brought to you by the Family Activities Committee (FAC). Register here to get the Zoom link.
SOCIAL ACTION AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Luggage for Freedom: Drop off Dignity Bags October 1-8 for Domestic Violence Survivors - Starting today and continuing through next Thursday, help domestic violence victims and survivors by creating dignity bags at home and dropping them off at various suburban locations October 1-8. Assemble any number of bags - even as little as one - to provide victims and survivors of domestic violence with personal care products. Fill a one-gallon Ziploc bag with one of each of these eight small or travel-size products: soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. These bags will be collected at various spots throughout the suburban area on October 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8. A receptacle labeled “NCJW Gives Back – Dignity Bags” will be available outside the front doors of the following locations:
- 1705 Clavinia Ave., Deerfield
- 1329 Eastwood Ave., Highland Park
- 3803 Oak Ave. Northbrook
- 1111 Golfview Road, Glenview
- 2114 Lincolnwood Dr., Evanston
Click here for more information, and thank you for helping women and children who have experienced domestic violence.
Virtual Film Discussion: They Ain’t Ready for Me, October 14. JCC Chicago's Social Justice Film Series presents a discussion of the film They Ain't Ready for Me. The documentary shows how Tamar Manasseh, a black rabbinical student, is combating gun violence on the South Side of Chicago through her organization MASK, Mothers/Men Against Senseless Killings. In the film, Tamar addresses the challenges facing both the black and Jewish worlds. The story exists within the context of the larger issues that are playing out in today’s America – increasing racial tensions, rising inequality levels and a growing sense of atomization and alienation. They Ain’t Ready for Me explores the complex identity and motivations of an extraordinary person who is Jewish and black, and how these intersecting identities offer her a road map for addressing one of America’s most urgent crises. Register here to receive a link to view the film at home and a link for the virtual film discussion.
SUPPORT FOR MEMBERS
Free Groceries for Veterans, October 9— Midwest Veterans Closet continues its food distribution program for veterans in need of assistance on Friday, October 9, 12:00 to 1:30 pm at 2323 Green Bay Road, North Chicago. A volunteer wearing protective gear will place a package of groceries in your vehicle. You will not be allowed to exit your car. Food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served 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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