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 Shira Evening Service via Zoom, Friday January 29, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday: Shabbat Morning B'not Mitzvah Service via Zoom, Saturday January 30, 9:30 a.m.
- Next Week: Multigenerational Shabbat Service via Zoom, Friday February 5, 7:00 p.m.
- "Who Has Kept Us Alive: Prayer for Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine"
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Short Memory"
Religious School
- Religious School Youth Classes, January 31
- Youth Kallah for Grades 6-12, February 12-14
Adult Education
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes
- Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursdays
Membership News and Events
- Virtual Travels to Jewish History Sites: Alexandria, February 10
- 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
- Watch for Tax Letters Coming Soon
Social Justice- Sunday: White Fragility Discussion Session 3, January 31
- Raising Anti-Racist Children, February 8
Social Action
- Help Nearby Children Needing Personal Care Items
- Shir Hadash Shows We Care: MLK Days of Service 2021
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive, Amazon Smile, and ShopWithScrip
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Tomorrow: 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.
Saturday: Shabbat Morning B'not Mitzvah Service via Zoom, Saturday January 30, 9:30 a.m. -- We welcome Isabella and Sophia to the bima as b'not mitzvah. To access a customized prayer book for the service, click here.
Next Week: Multigenerational Shabbat Service via Zoom, Friday February 5, 7:00 p.m. -Join in a Family-Friendly Zoom service for all school families, seniors, not-yet seniors, and anyone else who would like to come worship with us as a community. Enjoy a Shabbat service with fun music, engaging prayer, and a delightful story.
Prayer Upon Receiving the Vaccine -- Rabbi Eitan shared a prayer at the recent 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 29-30, 20201/ 17 Shevat 5781 / Shabbat Beshalach - Shira
Torah - Exodus 13:17-17:16 / Haftarah - Judges 4:4-5:31
“Short Memory”
Dear Friends,
How short is our memory? Nowadays, we are used to quick news cycles. Lately, we expect to forget yesterday’s big news story as soon as the latest story breaks across our screens. This is nothing new at all. This week’s Torah portion tells the story of the crossing of the Sea of Reeds – a magnificent and potentially life-changing moment for the Israelites as they ran from Egyptian slavery. Yet, three days later, with water running low, they complained when all they found was bitter water. Though the water was miraculously sweetened, they complained about food. Though they ate well that evening, they wanted nothing to do with the manna that would sustain them for the rest of the journey. How short was their memory?
We are a lot like the Israelites. We often forget the good times, when fear and difficulty confront us. We are quick to forget the blessings and abundance around us when we lack our comforts. Our tradition wants us to recognize that trying times, loss, sickness, and pain are part of life and that it is our duty to give our best effort towards finding solutions. In the meantime, we must remember to recognize the richness and plenty that shower our lives. Even in the most challenging of times, there is so much for which to be thankful.
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 31 -- 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.
Youth Kallah for Grades 6-12, February 12-14 -- While we cannot do Youth Kallah in our normal fashion, it doesn't mean that we can't gather online in creative ways! And this year it will be 100% free. High School students from JRC & Shir Hadash are currently planning an awesome and multi-faceted virtual youth kallah that will feature fun, tikkun olam projects, art, a movie night, Shabbat services and more! So many of your favorite things about Kallah - most importantly the connection with friends from JRC and beyond - will continue, even in this year.
Registration details will be available soon... for now Save The Date!
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 28, 1:00 p.m. -- Be part of an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion via Zoom.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
New! Virtual Travels to Jewish History Sites: Alexandria, February 10, 7:30 p.m. -- Join David Liebling for another fascinating virtual visit to great sites of Jewish history -- this month, our destination is Alexandria. Click here for details and to register for the Zoom link.
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.
Watch for Tax Letters Coming Soon -- Donors giving $250 or more in 2020 will receive an annual acknowledgment letter in the mail shortly. Please watch for that and contact the office if you have any questions.
SOCIAL ACTION
Help Nearby Children Needing Personal Care Items --There are students at nearby Holmes Middle School -- less than a mile from Shir Hadash -- who are running out of personal hygiene products and their families cannot afford to replace them. Shir Hadash is hoping to help all 50 students. Donations of any amount are welcomed by February 7th. If you can help, make an online donation by clicking here (select Social Action in the dropdown menu and write Personal Care Products in the Payment Notes). Alternatively, you can mail a check to the synagogue made out to Shir Hadash and indicate it's for Personal Care Products. If you have any questions, email Social Action Chair Lisa Burton Radzely at socialactionsh@gmail.com.
Shir Hadash Shows We Care: MLK Days of Service 2021 -- We helped our community in many ways throughout MLK Days of Service:
Thank you to everyone who took the time to help others! Future opportunities to do tikkun olam -- repair the world -- will be posted in the newsletter, website, app, and social media.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Sunday! White Fragility Discussion Group Session 3, January 31 -- Our White Fragility book discussion, in partnership with Congregation Or Shalom. holds Session 3 this Sunday, 10am-11:30am. Contact racial-justice@orshalomlc.com if you have any questions, and save the date for the conclusion on February 7th.
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 FUNDRAISERSGift 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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