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Our staff is primarily working from home. If you need assistance, please email the office at admin@shir-hadash.org or call 847-498-8218. You may additionally reach the Rabbi on his cell 847-525-7746 at any time, and our President, Marc Fargotstein at 847-612-6579. For more information about our COVID-19 response plan, click here .
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual
- Tomorrow: Shabbat Service with SHED Talk via Zoom, Friday January 15, 7:30 p.m.
- Next Week: Shabbat Evening Service via Zoom, Friday January 22, 7:30 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Hardening Pharoah's Heart"
Religious School
- Religious School Youth Classes, January 17
Adult Education
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
- Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.
Membership News and Events
- Honoring 2020-21 Members of the Haverim Society
- Tonight: Mussar Study Group, January 14, 7:30 p.m.
- Suggested Activities for MLK Days of Service, January 15-24
- Wednesday: Virtual Travels with David Liebling to Sites of Jewish History: Cairo, January 20, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies: Golda, January 23, 7:30 p.m.
- Family Activities Committee Virtual Bingo Party, January 24, 1:00 p.m.
- Shir HaNosh TV Bagel Episode Available for Viewing
- Shir Hadash Bakes!
- Book Club New Selection; Meeting February 18
Social Justice- Saturday -- Note New Date & Time! Jewish Perspectives on Racial Justice, January 16, 11:00 a.m. - noon.
- Sunday: Multi-Session White Fragility Discussion beginning January 17
- JCC Chicago's 2nd Social Justice Film Series: January 17-26
Social Action
- Starts Tomorrow! MLK Days of Service: January 15-24
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive, Amazon Smile, and ShopWithScrip
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Tomorrow: Shabbat Evening Service with SHED Talk via Zoom, Friday, January 15, 7:30 p.m. -- “SHED TALKS – Shir Hadash’s version of TED Talks” – We begin with a brief Kabbalah Shabbat to welcome the Shabbat with song and story. Then, Shir Hadash members offer personal reflections on life, living, and Judaism. This month David Edler shares "Grounding Out to Third: A story of how what seemed, at the time, to be a personal failure turned into a remarkable blessing for people I'd never met.”
Next Week: Shabbat Evening Service via Zoom, Friday January 22, 7:30 p.m. -- "What Do We Know About the Exodus?" -- Celebrate Shabbat with a full Shabbat service via Zoom. Rabbi Eitan will present on the Exodus and recent archaeological discoveries.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
January 15-16, 2021 / 3 Shvat 5781 / Shabbat Va’eira
Torah: Exodus 6:2 - 9:35 / Haftarah: Ezekiel 28:25 - 29:21
“Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart”
Dear Friends,
How can a heart be hardened? This week’s Torah portion tells us that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart each time that Moses asked for freedom for his people. If we are born with free will, can God harden Pharaoh’s heart without consent?
The ruffian and gladiator turned rabbi, Reish Lakish, offers a teaching which might help solve this puzzle. Reish Lakish taught, “If a person seeks to do evil, that person will find a way. If one seeks to do good, to improve oneself, and to better one’s society, God will help” (Talmud: Trachtate Shabbat 104a). In Pharaoh’s case, his choice was to follow the path of evil, subjugation, and domination. Each time Moses asked for release, Pharaoh found a way to refuse and oppress the slaves further. Thus, Pharaoh willingly sought the hardening of his heart.
As we enter the new year of 2021, with God’s help, let us seek to become the very best that each one of us can be.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Read past editions of The Rabbi's Corner on the Shir Hadash website .
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Religious School Youth Classes, January 17 -- We are looking forward to seeing our students in their Zoom classes this week. If you have any questions, please contact Rachel Goldberg or Alan Bernover.
ADULT EDUCATION
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 Zoom. Contact Fred Andes for details.
- 11:00 a.m. -- Hebrew Reading via WebEx. -- contact Steve Lewin.
Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, January 14, 1:00 p.m. -- Be part of an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion via Zoom.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
Honoring 2020-21 Members of the Haverim Society --The Haverim (Friends) Society is comprised of those Shir Hadash members whose 2020-2021 Voluntary Commitment was at least 10% greater than the dues those members paid the year before. It is with great pleasure 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 next year by at least 10% and join the Haverim Society for the 2021-2022 year. Again, thank you to all! Please use this link to the members only portion of our website to learn the names of those members and to honor their generosity.
Tonight: Mussar Study Group, January 14, 7:30 p.m. -- 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. Mussar provides guidance in identifying your uniquely personal path of spiritual growth and offers practices to help bring about that growth. To join our monthly discussion group, contact Lynn Liebling or Kayla Shonberg.
Suggested Activities for Martin Luther King Days of Service -- The Social Action Committee has compiled a list of rewarding opportunities for community service that members are encouraged to consider in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Click here or scroll down to the Social Action section of the newsletter for details.
Wednesday: Virtual Travels with David Liebling to Sites of Jewish History: Cairo, January 20, 7:30 p.m. -- David Liebling's Virtual Travel Series is heading to Cairo, our third stop on the trail of Maimonides. Register here to travel with us!
Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies, January 23, 7:30 p.m. -- This month's movie is the new documentary Golda, featuring never-before-seen materials and archival footage, shown for free from Jan. 15-17 by the Arizona Jewish Historical Society: click here to sign up to watch the movie. Then, join the AJHS's online discussion with the director on Jan. 19, and our own discussion on Jan. 23 - click here to register for our discussion.
Family Activities Committee Virtual Bingo Party, January 24, 1:00 p.m. -- Join Shir Hadash members for this free all-ages event from the Family Activities Committee, hosted by Chana Sulpar. Bring your favorite beverage, see old friends, and share in the laughter and fun. To receive your Bingo card and the Zoom link, register here. RSVP deadline is Thursday, January 21.
Shir Hadash Bakes! Two weeks ago, Rabbi Eitan mentioned during Shir HaNosh TV that the iCenter's 12 Shinshinim (Israeli teens doing a gap year of service before entering the military officer training program) have arrived in Chicago and were quarantining together--and were hungry. Several Shir Hadashniks stepped up to bake and cook up a storm, sending brownies, cookies, soup, frittata, and more. The Shinshinim thanked us for helping them feel at home!
Save the Date! Book Club, February 18 -- The Book Club's next selection for Thursday, February 18 at 7:30 pm is The Only Woman in the Room, a novel by Marie Benedict. Check your local library or consider purchasing from your local bookstore or from Bookshop.org to support small businesses.
SOCIAL ACTION
Starts Tomorrow! MLK Days of Service: January 15-24 -- In this year when the needs are greater than ever, Shir Hadash's MLK Days of Service are the perfect opportunity to help those who need assistance. Even though we can't get together in groups, we still can commit ourselves to service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and helping others. The Social Action Committee shares numerous service projects that your household can do by themselves. We share a large variety so everyone can find something that suits them. Click here to view activities that help food insecurity, nursing home residents, the homeless, domestic violence survivors, veterans, hospitalized children, animals, healthcare workers, and others. Feel free to do other activities not listed. As long as it's something that helps others, it counts!
While we perform these actions individually, it is a community project for Shir Hadash. Through photos and descriptions, we will create a virtual community of Shir Hadash members performing tikkun olam -- repairing the world -- and helping others. Photos and activity descriptions are welcomed through January 24th. Please send them to mlkservice2021@gmail.com. Images and activity descriptions will remain anonymous in all ways that the synagogue uses them; no names will be mentioned.
Thank you for participating in Shir Hadash's MLK Days of Service. If you have any questions, email socialactionsh@gmail.com .
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Saturday -- Note New Date & Time! Jewish Perspectives on Racial Justice, January 16, 11:00 a.m. - noon. Participate in an hour of studying and exploring texts by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from a Jewish perspective. Hosted by Repair the World, Detroit. Sign up here .
Starts Sunday! New Participants Invited for White Fragility Discussion Group, Sundays beginning January 17
- Four-session series for Shir Hadash and Or Shalom members,
- Sunday mornings, 10am-11:30am, on January 17, 24, and 31 and February 7
If you couldn't participate in our multi-session discussions of White Fragility in September, another group will have an opportunity to learn about white privilege in January 2021. This series will ask us to engage in personal reflection about our experiences with racism in the world and will challenge us to grow in new ways as we uncover the toll systemic racism takes on all our lives. The series is free for Shir Hadash and Or Shalom members, and all are invited to attend. This in-depth, four-part Zoom conversation about the book White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk about Racism will be facilitated by Or Shalom members. The book can be found at bookstores, your local library, as an ebook, as an audiobook, or you can purchase it from Semicolon. Chicago’s only Black woman-owned bookstore. The program is a continuation of Shir Hadash and Or Shalom's partnership as both congregations continue to learn about anti-racism. Register here . Please contact racial-justice@orshalomic.com with any questions.
JCC Chicago's 2nd Social Justice Film Series: January 17-26 -- Six highly-acclaimed films focus on antisemitism, human rights, the Holocaust, and issues impacting people who are differently abled. These films explore, educate, inform and ignite important conversation. Most have a prerecorded Q&A that can be viewed at your convenience. To view the film offerings and to register, click here .
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
Gift Card Purchases 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.
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website .
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