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: Multigenerational Shabbat Service, Friday, April 2, 7:00 p.m.
- Passover – Shabbat Morning and Yizkor Memorial Service, Saturday, April 3, 10:00 a.m.
- Next Week: Shabbat Service with SHED Talk by Nat Arons, Friday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner -- "The Splitting of the Sea of Reeds"
Religious School - Religious School -- Spring Break, April 4
- School Reopening Task Force -- Your Input Needed!
Adult Education- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes, April 4
--Torah and Jewish Philosophy, 10:00 a.m.
-- Hebrew Reading Class, 11:00 a.m. - Thursday Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan, April 1, 1:00 p.m.
- "A Mother and Her Daughter-in-Law" Study of the Book of Ruth, Tuesdays beginning April 13, 1:00 p.m.
Membership News and Events
- Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies Discussion, Saturday April 3, 8:00 p.m.
- Support Shir Hadash with Max & Benny's Boxes: Order by April 6, Pickup April 9
- "Food for Thought" Virtual Event, Tuesday, April 6, 7:00 p.m.
- Apply by April 6: JUF COVID-19 Initiative Academic Scholarships for Academic Year 2021-22
- Mussar Discussion Group, Thursday, April 8, 7:30 p.m.
- Save the Date: Book Club, April 15
Social Action- Food and Toiletry Drive, Friday, April 9 and Sunday, April 11
Social Justice- Statement of Support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Ongoing Fundraisers
- iGive, Amazon Smile, and ShopWithScrip
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Friday: Multigenerational Shabbat Service via Zoom, Friday, April 2, 7:00 p.m. -- 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.
Passover – Shabbat Morning and Yizkor Memorial Service, Saturday, April 3, 10:00 a.m. -- Join Shir Hadash on Zoom for an hour-long Shabbat morning service with Torah reading on the closing of the Passover holiday. Rabbi Weiner-Kaplow will lead a brief Yizkor memorial service as well.
Next Week: Shabbat Service with SHED Talk via Zoom, Friday, April 9, 7:30 p.m. -- 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. On April 9, Nathaniel Arons shares "A Tale of Two Trips: Delivering Disaster Relief for Texas." Details here
THE RABBI’S CORNER
April 2-3, 2021 / 21 Nisan 5781 / Day 6 of the Omer
Shabbat Chol HaMo’ed Pesach
Torah: Exodus 13:17-15:26; Numbers 28:19-28:25
Haftarah: II Samuel 22:1-51
“The Splitting of the Sea of Reeds”
Dear Friends,
As we approach the end of the Passover holiday, tradition tells us that it was at this time that the Sea of Reeds split. This was the moment when the Children of Israel were rescued as they walked on dry land through the sea to freedom on the distant shore. It is not clear how the sea split. The Torah says that Moses held his hand and staff over the waters. God made an east wind blow all night. Furthermore, the commentaries tell about the Tribe of Judah entering the water first, which made the waters split. Later, we learn that it was a leader of Judah, Nachshon ben Aminadav, who jumped in first, which made the waters split. By morning, the dry land had appeared and the Children of Israel moved forward.
How interesting that there are so many versions of the story, so many explanations of the great event, and so many lessons to be learned from it all. As we conclude the Passover holiday, the story continues. Regardless of what happened and how it happened, our ancestors were free. The chain of Jewish history continues up to us and this very moment.
Have a healthy, safe, and happy Passover.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Read past editions of The Rabbi's Corner on the Shir Hadash website .
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Religious School on Spring Break, April 4 -- There will be no youth Religious School on April 4. Enjoy Spring Break, and we look forward to seeing all our students in their virtual classes at 10:15 a.m. on April 11. Questions? Contact Rachel Goldberg or Alan Bernover.
New: School Reopening Task Force -- The Synagogue is looking to create and staff a “School Re-Opening Task Force” to prepare for the 2021-2022 Religious School educational year. This task force will shape policy, create protocols for safe re-entry to our school, and implement best practices and procedures to comply with city, state and national guidelines regarding COVID-19. Professional areas of expertise are essential such as: medical professionals, school administrators and teachers, architects, engineers, safety compliance managers, project managers, and the like. We are hoping to include a wide array of backgrounds in this new task force and welcome school parents' input as well. Please contact Alan Bernover by email or at (773) 865-3136 if you are interested in participating in this new action committee. We plan to form this committee in the coming two weeks.
ADULT EDUCATION
Adult Ed Sunday Morning Programs, April 4: Adults are welcome to join in the following adult education programs on Sundays:: - Torah and Jewish Philosophy, 10:00 a.m via Zoom. If you would like to participate, contact Fred Andes.
- Hebrew Reading, 11:00 a.m. via WebEx. Contact Steve Lewin
Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursday, April 1, 1:00 p.m. - Join the Rabbi and other members in an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion via Zoom.
New: "A Mother and Her Daughter-in-Law: Four Movements in Two Women's Lives" Tuesdays beginning April 13, 1:00 p.m. -- \.Join Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and Deacon Peery Duderstadt for a series of five Zoom meetings, where we’ll delve into the Book of Ruth. Bring your Bible and discover a beautiful story of a mother and her daughter-in-law thousands of years ago. Sessions begin on Tuesday, April 13 at 1:00 pm and last about an hour. They continue each Tuesday through May 11. They will cover one chapter each week.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies Discussion: "She's Got It", Saturday, April 3, 8:00 p.m. -- Join us for Saturday Night at the Israeli Movies! This time, we've got a comedy: She's Got It, which centers around three women and a counterfeiting scheme. Watch the movie at your leisure beforehand, and we'll gather virtually for a lively discussion. Click here to learn more, watch the trailer, and RSVP! The film is available online for free on Hoopla which you can access with most local library cards.
Order by Tuesday! Support Shir Hadash and Enjoy from Max and Benny’s! We are excited to offer these Max and Benny's food options as a delicious fundraiser:- Bagel Box $9.99
- Family Lox Platter $36.00
- Bagel Baking Kit $9.99
- Emoji Cookie Kit $9.99
Place your order here by 4:00 pm on Tuesday April 6, for pickup on Friday, April 9 between 1:00 and 3:00 at Shir Hadash. Note: When you're picking up your order, please consider bringing a donation for our Food & Toiletry Drive -- see below for details!. Limited delivery is available. No substitutions please. Contact Vicky Brice with questions.
New: "Food for Thought" Virtual Event, Tuesday, April 6, 7:00 p.m. -- Join in an interfaith experience reflecting on hunger in our nation. Presented by the Children of Abraham Coalition and Tri-Faith Initiative. Details and registration here.
Applications Due April 6 -- JUF COVID-19 Initiative Academic Scholarships for Academic Year 2021-22 -- The Jewish United Fund and JVS Career and Employment now offer scholarships for Jewish low-income high school graduates who have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis. Students must demonstrate how this crisis has impacted their ability to afford their education, be Jewish, and have a permanent residence in the Chicago metropolitan area. Eligible students may attend the full spectrum of post-high school institutions, either full-time or part-time. Preferences will be given to students attending Illinois institutions. Apply here. The deadline is April 6, 2021 and awards will be made by May 2021. For more information contact jvsscholarship@jvschicago.org.
Mussar Discussion Group via Zoom, April 8, 7:30 p.m. -- Mussar is a 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. Contact Lynn Liebling or Kayla Shonberg to learn more about our Shir Hadash monthly discussion group.
Save the Date! Book Club, Thursday, April 15 -- Book Club's next book for April 15 will be Concealed by Esther Amini, a memoir of growing up in a Persian-Jewish family in Queens, New York. Click here to learn more!
SOCIAL ACTION
New: Food & Toiletry Drive, April 9 and 11 -- To help food pantries keep up with the demands of those struggling with food insecurity and meeting other basic needs, Shir Hadash will hold a contactless drive-thru food and toiletries drive to benefit the Wheeling Food Pantry and the SNAPGap program at First United Methodist Church of Evanston (where we host a soup kitchen twice a year). There will be two donation opportunities:- Friday, April 9, 1:00-3:00pm when you can also pick up your Max & Benny's order – see above), and
- Sunday, April 11, 2:00-4:00pm.
Click here for a list of food items most needed at the Wheeling Food Pantry. The most-needed toiletries are full-size shampoo, full-size body wash, and disinfectant wipes. You can send a monetary or online in-kind donation if you cannot attend in person. Click here to send toiletries via Amazon, and click here for information how to provide in-kind and monetary donations directly to Wheeling Food Pantry.
Please note our drop-off procedures to protect everyone's safety:- Toiletry donations should be bagged separately from food donations.
- All donations must be placed in the trunk; volunteers will not enter a vehicle.
- All volunteers will be masked. Drivers and passengers should wear masks if your windows are down and/or if the trunk is open to the driver and passenger area.
Email our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely, if you have any questions.
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. 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.
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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