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Please note our Building remains closed, and our Staff will be out from December 24 through January 4, returning on Monday Jan 4. Please contact President Marc Fargotstein at 847-612-6579 if you have a question or issue that cannot wait, or Rabbi Eitan on his cell at 847-525-7746 if you have an emergency. For more information about our COVID-19 response, click here .
Please Note: There will be no weekly newsletter next Thursday. Watch for the next edition to arrive in your inbox on Thursday, December 31.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Tonight: Hanukkah Nightly Candle Lighting, December 17, 6:15 p.m..
- Friday: Shabbat Evening Service, December 18, 7:30 p.m.
- Next Week: Shabbat Dinner Blessings, December 25, 6:15 p.m.
- Upcoming Services
- Kabbalat Shabbat, January 1, 7:30 p.m.
- Multigenerational Shabbat Service, January 8, 7:00 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Heirlooms"
Religious School
- Religious School Winter Break, December 20 - January 3
Adult Education
- Winter Break Schedule for Sunday Morning Classes and Thursday Lunch & Learn
Membership News and Events
- Tonight! Book Club, December 17, 7:30 p.m.
- Virtual Travels to Jewish History Sites, December 23, 7:30 p.m.
- Shir HaNosh TV, December 27, 5:00 p.m.
Social Action
- Shir Hadash: The MVP of JCFS Toy Drive
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Gift Cards for the Holidays Help Shir Hadash
- iGive, Amazon Smile, and ShopWithScrip
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Tonight! Hanukkah Nightly Candle Lighting with Rabbi Eitan, December 17, 6:15 p.m. -- Join Rabbi Eitan on the final night of Hanukkah for a special 15-minute candle lighting ceremony of song, readings, and blessings. Have your hanukiyot (Hanukkah menorahs) ready and we will all light together. Apart/Together - What a great way to celebrate our Festival of Light this year!
Friday: Shabbat Evening Service, Friday December 18, 7:30 p.m. -- “Our Favorite Jewish Books” - Join us for a Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat experience. Be ready to hold up and describe your favorite Jewish book. Let's create a Jewish book list to inspire more reading over the winter break.
Next Week: Shabbat Dinner Blessings, Friday December 25, 6:15 p.m. -- Join us on Zoom as we light candles, bless our families, sanctify the wine, and bless the challah before Shabbat dinner. Rabbi Eitan will lead a 20-minute ceremony to welcome our Shabbat dinners at home.
Upcoming: Plan to join us via Zoom!
Kabbalat Shabbat, Friday January 1, 7:30 p.m.
Multigenerational Shabbat, Friday January 8, 7:00 p.m.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
December 18-19 2020 / 4 Tevet 5781 / Shabbat Miketz
Torah: Genesis 41:1-44:17 / Haftarah: I Kings 3:15 - 4:1
“Heirlooms”
Dear Friends,
When Joseph was elevated as assistant to Pharaoh, the king gave Joseph a ring. It symbolized the new title, authority, and power which had been bestowed upon Joseph.
An item like a ring has meaning and often conveys a sense of history. Think about the heirlooms that you might have from family members. Think of the items that were once cherished by those before you and were passed on to you and other relatives – rings, watches, pins, broches, bracelets, and necklaces – jewelry of all kinds. Do you know of silverware, candlesticks, dishes, Hanukkah menorahs, a tallit, a kippah, a shofar, or seder plate that have been passed to you? As the winter comes upon us and we spend more time indoors, take some time to visit your family’s heirlooms. Tell the stories to future generations. One day these cherished items will be theirs.
Zay a mensch -- be a good person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Religious School Winter Break, December 20 - January 3 -- Enjoy a relaxing winter break! Youth classes will resume on January 10. If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Goldberg or Alan Bernover.
ADULT EDUCATION
Adult Ed Schedule Over Winter Break:
- Torah and Jewish Philosophy will meet every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom . PW is 756071. Contact Fred Andes for details. Call in number is 312 626 6799.
- Hebrew Reading will meet on December 20 at 11:00 a.m. via WebEx No class on December 27. Contact Steve Lewin.
- Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan meets today, December 17, 1:00 p.m. via Zoom. There will be no session on December 24 or 31.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
Tonight! Book Club, December 17, 7:30 p.m. - Our Book Club will be discussing The Physician, a novel by Noah Gordon.
Next Week! Virtual Travels with David Liebling to Jewish History Sites, December 23, 7:30 p.m. -- David will take us on a virtual tour of Cairo, continuing in the footsteps of Maimonides, who arrived there around 1168. The Cairo Geniza, found in the Ben Ezra Synagogue by Solomon Schechter, later gave scholars an incredible glimpse of Medieval Jewish life in Cairo. Click here and register to receive the Zoom link.
Next Week! Shir HaNosh TV, December 27, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. (with a break from 11:00 - 1:00) Shir HaNosh TV Presents: Whole Wheat Everything Bagels with Rabbi Eitan! Click here for ingredients and tools so you can be ready to bake along, or sit back and relax while watching. Class starts at 10 a.m. and goes until 11, then we'll have a break for the dough to rise. At 1 p.m. we'll tune back in for the rest of the bagel baking process, using the same Zoom link. Rabbi Eitan has some new bagel tips and tricks up his sleeve--you won't want to miss it!
SOCIAL ACTION
"Shir Hadash was the MVP of JCFS Holiday Gift Drive" -- A very big thank you to everyone who participated in the JCFS Holiday Gift Drive. Haley Zimmerman, the project coordinator, called Shir Hadash the MVP of the project. Not only were our members' sponsorships and donations very much valued, but JCFS also appreciated our help in publicizing this project throughout Chicagoland. At one point, the low level of participation was alarming, and there was grave concern that there would be many children not receiving holiday gifts this year. Once the word got out about this problem, we had an outpouring of member involvement, and Rabbi Eitan's publicity suggestion also made a huge difference. Without exaggeration, Shir Hadash is viewed as the reason many children are feeling joy this holiday season. Thank you, Shir Hadash members and staff!
Shir Hadash is involved annually with numerous projects supporting Jewish Child & Family Services. If you would like to get involved in helping to plan or implement all or part of a project, contact our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely, at socialactionsh@gmail.com.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Gift Cards for the Holidays Help Shir Hadash - SHOP Shir Hadash allows members to order physical and electronic gift cards from thousands of stores and Shir Hadash receives a portion of every purchase. Purchase can be for gifts or your personal use. Thousands of dollars can be generated for Shir Hadash at no cost to you. Click here for more information. Once registered, electronic and physical cards can be ordered instantly ordered using the RaiseRight app on your phone or through our vendor shopwithscrip.com. Contact Glenn Graff for more information.
When you’re 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 .
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.
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