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 . - Friday: Multigenerational Shabbat via Zoom, Friday, May 7, 7:00 p.m.
- Next Week: Shabbat Service and SHED Talk via Zoom, Friday, May 14, 7:30 p.m.
- Shavuot Service and Study Evening via Zoom, Sunday, May 16, 7:30 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Reward"
Religious School - No Religious School on May 9
Adult Education- Today: Thursday Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Eitan, May 6, 1:00 p.m.
- Sunday Morning Adult Ed Classes, May 9
--Torah and Jewish Philosophy, 10:00 a.m.
-- Hebrew Reading Class, 11:00 a.m. - Tuesday: "A Mother and Her Daughter-in-Law" Study of the Book of Ruth Concluding Session, May 11, 1:00 p.m.
Membership News and Events - Annual Meeting Information in the Mail
- Next Week: Mussar Discussion Group, May 13, 7:30 p.m.
Next Week: Kitchen Kids Cooking Demo: Shavuot Cheesecake, May 16, 1:00 p.m. - Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council Presents Virtual Tour of Israel, May 23, 5:00 p.m.
- Book Club New Selection; Meeting on June 17, 7:30 p.m.
- Volunteer Opportunity: Shir Hadash IT Committee
Social Justice- Beyond White Privilege: A Conversation with Nanette Massey, May 19, 7:00 p.m.
Social Action- Help Seniors Get Covid Vaccine Appointments
Ongoing Fundraisers - iGive, Amazon Smile, and ShopWithScrip
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Friday: Multigenerational Shabbat Service via Zoom, Friday, May 7, 7:00 p.m. -- Click here for the Zoom link. (Meeting ID 869 2916 5393, Passcode 757767, Dial-in 312 626 6799) Join us for 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, with fun music, engaging prayer, and a delightful story.
Next Week: Shabbat Evening Service & SHED Talk via Zoom, Friday, May 14, 7:30 p.m. Click here for the Zoom link. (Meeting ID 869 2916 5393, Passcode 757767, Dial-in 312 626 6799) 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, Julie Gartner shares "From Cancer to Spiritual Awakening: What I Learned from Two Tragedies."
Next Week: Shavuot Service and Study Evening via Zoom, Sunday, May 16, 7:30 p.m. -- Click here for the Zoom link. (Meeting ID 869 2916 5393, Passcode 757767, Dial-in 312 626 6799) Shavuot is the holiday on which we celebrate the Israelites receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai. Join us on Zoom for an evening Shavuot service and study session. First, a brief service. Then, we will have a bunch of short study sessions on Jewish topics led by Shir Hadash members. If you would like to lead a session, please email Fred Andes.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
May 7-8, 2021 / 26 Iyar 5781
Omer Day 41
Shabbat Behar-Bechukotai / Mevorachim
Torah: Leviticus 25:1 - 27:34 / Haftarah: Jeremiah 16:19 - 17:14
“Reward”
Dear Friends,
How can we explain reward and punishment? In biblical times and in this week’s Torah portion, the formula seemed simple enough. You were rewarded for following God’s commandments. You were punished for committing a sin. Nowadays, it’s not so clear-cut. Sometimes the evil do get away with it. Rabbi Harold Kushner’s book explores the conundrum of “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.”
The way I see it, of course there is randomness in life. Not everything adheres to a formula. Nevertheless, our behavior does affect the paths of our lives. Like on Yom Kippur during the “Unetaneh Tokef” prayer, our tradition teaches that prayer, repentance, and righteous behavior can avert the severity of heaven’s decree. Thus, upright and compassionate actions can tip the balance towards blessing and reward. For example, while wearing a mask, social distancing, and avoiding crowds won’t offer complete protection, it will greatly reduce the likelihood of spreading the Corona virus. There is no guarantee. But our tradition instructs us to live righteously in order to bring the reward of blessing and kindness to the world. Thus, we and all who dwell on earth will be blessed.
Zay a Mentsch – Be a Good Person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Read past editions of The Rabbi's Corner on the Shir Hadash website .
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
No Religious School on Sunday, May 9 -- We hope you enjoy celebrating Mother's Day, and look forward to seeing all our students for a special Shavuot program next week. Questions? Contact Rachel Goldberg or Alan Bernover.
ADULT EDUCATION
Today: Lunch and Learn with Rabbi Eitan, Thursday, May 6, 1:00 p.m. - Click here for Zoom link (Meeting ID: 864 5148 8826; Passcode 6121824, Dial-in number 312 626 6799) Join the Rabbi and other members in an engaging examination of the week's Torah portion
Adult Ed Sunday Morning Programs, May 9: Adults are welcome to join in the following adult education programs on Sundays:: 
Tuesday: "A Mother and Her Daughter-in-Law: Four Movements in Two Women's Lives" May 11, 1:00 p.m. -- Click here for the Zoom link (Meeting ID: 864 5148 8826, Passcode: 6121824; Dial-in 312 626 6799). Join Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow and Deacon Peery Duderstadt for the conclusion of our Zoom discussions on the Book of Ruth. Bring your Bible and discover a beautiful story of a mother and her daughter-in-law thousands of years ago.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
Annual Meeting Information -- The Annual Meeting letters have been mailed. We hope you have already received yours, and that you will plan to join us for the Zoom meeting on Sunday, June 6. If you have any questions, or require an absentee ballot, please contact the office at admin@shir-hadash.org.
Mussar Discussion Group, Thursday May 13, 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. If you are interested in participating in our monthly Mussar discussion group, please contact Lynn Liebling or Kayla Shonberg.
Kitchen Kids Cooking Demo: Shavuot Cheesecake, Sunday, May 16, 1:00 p.m -- Mark your calendar for a fun virtual cooking demonstration from the Family Activity Committee. We will be making no-bake cheesecake with banana and strawberry decorations.
Kids in kindergarten through 8th grade can join in to watch or to cook with us as we use hand mixers and knives to create our dairy (and Shavuot celebratory) cheesecake creations. Parental supervision is advised. Register here to receive the ingredient list, recipe, and Zoom link. In the Notes box, please include the names of the children you are registering for.
For questions: please email Elliott Simon.
Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council Presents Virtual Tour of Israel, May 23, 5:00 p.m. -- Join in an interfaith tour of Israel via Zoom, presented by the NWSIC, on Sunday, May 23. Click here for contact information.
New: Book Club New Selection; Meeting on June 17, 7:30 p.m. -- Save the Date! On June 17, Book Club will meet to discuss our next selection: The Liar by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen. This novel tells the story of an Israeli girl working in an ice cream shop, and reveals how one mistake can have a thousand consequences. Read more about the book here!
Volunteer Opportunity: Shir Hadash IT Committee -- We are in great need of a dedicated group of folks that are willing to assist with our IT needs. Areas that need attention:
- Internal: network management; workstations management; device software/firmware updates; support staff with computer, phone and copier assistance.
- External: Google administration - email accounts, group distribution lists; Google drives and Docs; Facebook accounts (public and members); YouTube account; Instagram account
Do you have an interest in helping with any of these functions? We can only effectively tackle the areas in which we have volunteers. Please contact Marc Fargotstein - president@shir-hadash.org / 847-612-6579 or Stuart Aizenberg – stuartaizenberg@gmail.com / 847-840-7895 if you would like to volunteer.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Beyond White Privilege: A Conversation with Nanette Massey, Wednesday, May 19, 7:00 p.m. -- Nanette D. Massey is a Black writer and workshop facilitator who lives in Buffalo, NY. She speaks with audiences about having honest, effective conversations about race. Ms. Massey will talk about white privilege on Wednesday, May 19, 7:00-8:30pm. Ms. Massey’s purpose is to help her white allies “figure out this whole race thing.” Prior to the presentation, it is encouraged but not necessary to read White Fragility by Robin diAngelo, especially the “White Women’s Tears” chapter, and to ponder the question, “Why is it inappropriate to wear a white dress to another woman’s wedding?” Click here to register; the Zoom link will be emailed to you closer to the event. For more information, email socialactionsh@gmail.com. Thank you to Shir Hadash member Iris Iglarsh for inviting Shir Hadash to co-sponsor this presentation with her National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter.
SOCIAL ACTION
Help Seniors Get Covid Vaccine Appointments -- In an effort to assist high-risk individuals, we are looking for volunteers to help seniors get COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Each volunteer will call 25 seniors and help them sign up for a vaccine appointment if they haven't already been vaccinated. The phone calls will be done based on your schedule and from your own home. You will use a calling script; you don't need to figure out what to say. Catholic Charities is coordinating this effort, and Shir Hadash will partner with them. If you are interested in volunteering, email our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely, for more details at socialactionsh@gmail.com.
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 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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