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 Evening Service via Zoom, Friday January 22, 7:30 p.m.
- Next Week: Shabbat Shira Evening Service via Zoom, Friday January 29, 7:30 p.m.
- "Who Has Kept Us Alive: Prayer for Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine"
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Matzah"
Religious School
- Religious School Youth Classes, January 24
Adult Education
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
- Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.
Membership News and Events
- Continues Through Sunday: Activities for MLK Days of Service, January 15-24.
- Saturday: Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies: Golda, January 23, 7:30 p.m.
- RSVP Deadline Today: Family Activities Committee Virtual Bingo Party, January 24, 1:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: Shir HaNosh TV: Chocolate Tu B'Shevat Treats with Melanie, January 27, 7:30 p.m.
- Support Shir Hadash with Bagels from Max and Benny's! Order by February 16 for February 19 Pickup
- Book Club New Selection; Meeting February 18
Social Justice- Sunday: White Fragility Discussion Session 2, January 24
- Through Tuesday: JCC Chicago's 2nd Social Justice Film Series: January 17-26
- New! Raising Anti-Racist Children, February 8
Social Action
- Now Through Sunday: MLK Days of Service: January 15-24
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive, Amazon Smile, and ShopWithScrip
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Tomorrow: 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.
Next Friday: Shabbat Shira Evening Service via Zoom, Friday January 29, 7:30 p.m. -- Our Zooming Shabbat Shira (Sabbath of Song) celebration features music from our Lahaka adult choir. Join in the celebration of our ancestor’s escape from Egyptian bondage – the moment when they crossed the Sea of Reeds and sang for joy.
Prayer Upon Receiving the Vaccine -- Rabbi Eitan shared a prayer at Tuesday evening's COVID-19 memorial observance entitled Who Has Kept Us Alive: Prayer for Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine by Heather Paul. For the full text, click here .
THE RABBI’S CORNER
January 22-23, 2021 / 10 Shevat 5781 / Shabbat Bo
Torah - Exodus 10:1-13:16 / Haftarah - Jeremiah 46:13-28
“Matzah”
Dear Friends,
“Matzah, why do we eat it?” This question is asked at the Passover seder as a way to begin to understand the complexity of this powerful Jewish symbol. In this week’s Torah portion, we learn that matzah is the bread of affliction, the bread of poverty. It is cheap bread, rushed bread, and tasteless bread that our ancestors ate when fleeing from Egypt. But we also learn that matzah is the bread of freedom. It is the food prepared when it became clear that liberation was at hand. Matzah is light, high in calories, and does not spoil. It is the ultimate travel food. It is exactly what you need when heading out on the trail.
Each and every day we have numerous opportunities to do mitzvot and make a difference in the quest for justice and compassion for our people and all peoples. Each and every day, we have the honor of studying our Jewish tradition and growing our Jewish identity. Each and every day, we can strengthen our connection to the land and people of Israel. Each and every day is a journey, a quest. “Matzah, why do we eat it?” So that as Jews, we can travel fast, and travel light and reach the Promised Land.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Religious School Youth Classes, January 24 -- 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 21, 1:00 p.m. -- Be part of an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion via Zoom.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
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.
This Saturday! 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.
Sunday! 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 Today, Thursday, January 21.
Wednesday! Shir HaNosh TV: Chocolate Tu B'shvat Treats, January 27, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom - Celebrate Tu B'Shevat with these easy Israeli fruit and nut chocolate treats! Melanie Andes will lead us through the no-bake recipe and share options for customizing it as well. Not too sweet and full of your favorite dried fruits and nuts, it's perfect for celebrating the new year of the trees! Click here for the ingredient list so you can cook along with us!
Support Shir Hadash: Order Max and Benny's Bagel Boxes! -- We are excited to again offer delicious bagels with all the fixings from Max and Benny's. Click here for complete details. Pre-order by February 16 for pickup at Shir Hadash on February 19 between 1:00 and 3:00 pm.
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
Through Sunday: 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. 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 Sunday, January 24. 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
Sunday! White Fragility Discussion Group Session 2, January 24
- Four sessions for Shir Hadash and Or Shalom members
- Sunday mornings, 10am-11:30am, on January 24 and 31 and February 7
Our multi-session discussion of White Fragility, in partnership with Congregation Or Shalom, continues this Sunday. 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. Participation 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. Register here . Please contact racial-justice@orshalomlc.com with any questions.
Through Tuesday: JCC Chicago's 2nd Social Justice Film Series: January 17-26 -- 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 .
New! Raising Anti-Racist Children, February 8, 7:00 p.m. -- Join racial healing facilitators Sarah Dennis and Yvonnie DuBose for a virtual discussion on race, racism, and parenting. This session is for parents and caregivers eager to learn practical tools to go beyond "colorblindness" when talking to their children about race. Sign up here. Spots are limited, so sign up now. Thank you to the Lake Forest Library for hosting this program and allowing community participation, regardless of where people live.
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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