Our current policies regarding our Bridge Phase practices, Building and Site Occupancy Limits, and Wellness Criteria can be found on the Shir Hadash website. Masks are to be worn at all services, meetings and programs. If you need assistance, please call the office at 847-498-8218. You may additionally reach the Rabbi on his cell 847-525-7746 at any time, and our President Stuart Aizenberg at 847-840-7895.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT A GLANCE
Creative Worship and Ritual .. - Friday: Shabbat Service via Zoom, Friday December 10, 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday: A Little Havdalah via Zoom, Saturday December 11, 4:30 p.m.
- Next Friday: Hybrid Shabbat with Rabbi Deborah Waxman and Seth Rosen, Friday December 17, 7:30 p.m.
- Upcoming: Shabbat Dinner Blessings via Zoom, Friday December 23, 6:15 p.m.
The Rabbi's Corner -- "Meaning From Adversity"
Membership News and Events
- Tonight: Mussar Discussion Group, December 9, 7:30 p.m.
- Fred Andes Honored by J Street; Award Luncheon on December 15
- Refugee Sponsorship Opportunity through HIAS
- Reconstructing Judaism Convention, March 23-27
- Sunday: Shir HaNosh TV: Borecas with Reba Meshulam, December 12, 3:00 p.m.
- Next Thursday: Book Club Reads Invisible City, December 16, 7:30 p.m.
- Soap Sack Collections Continue
Religious School
- Sunday School, December 12, 9:45 a.m.
Adult Education - Today: Lunch & Learn on December 9
- Sunday Morning Virtual Adult Ed Classes, December 12
- Hebrew Reading -- No Class This Week.
- Torah and Jewish Philosophy, 10:00 a.m.
Ongoing Fundraisers
- Restaurants, Shop Shir Hadash, iGive, and Amazon Smile
CREATIVE WORSHIP AND RITUAL
Friday: Shabbat Service via Zoom, Friday December 10, 7:30 p.m. -- Rabbi Eitan will lead the service from his home with meditations, prayer, readings, story, and song. This week's theme: “What Do We Know About Joseph?”
Next Saturday: A "Little" Havdalah, Saturday December 11, 4:30 p.m. -- Join us for A "Little" Havdalah on Zoom, where Rabbi Eitan will lead us in song, prayer, and keep the infants and toddlers engaged. This event is aimed at infants through pre-K, but all are welcome to join us! Please RSVP here so we know who's planning to attend.
Hybrid Shabbat with Rabbi Deborah Waxman and Seth Rosen, Friday December 17, 7:30 p.m. - We welcome two special speakers to Shir Hadash: Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President of Reconstructing Judaism, and Seth Rosen, Chair of the Board of Governors of Reconstructing Judaism. They will speak on the Jewish value of being an ally with others in the cause of social justice. RSVP here to participate in person (capacity is limited).
Upcoming: Shabbat Dinner Blessings via Zoom, Friday December 24, 6:15 p.m. -- Shir Hadash members will lead a 20 minute Zoom service as we light candles, bless our families, sanctify the wine, and bless the challah before Shabbat dinner.
THE RABBI’S CORNER
December 10-11, 2021 / 7 Tevet 5782
Shabbat Vayigash
Torah - Genesis 44:18-47:27 / Haftarah - Ezekiel 37:15-28
“Meaning from Adversity”
Dear Friends,
When things go terribly wrong, how do we hang on through to its resolution? How do we find the silver lining behind every rain cloud? How do we find the blessing in each calamity?
In this week’s Torah portion, a drought and famine has raged across Egypt and the whole Middle East. [Recently, researchers have discovered that this very prolonged drought may have been responsible for the transformation of northern Africa from a vast savannah grassland to the Sahara Desert that we know now.] The Egyptian people sold their lands, livestock, possessions, and even themselves to the Pharaoh out of desperation. Moreover, the Israelites in the Land of Canaan were starving, and Joseph’s brothers came asking for food.
Here the Torah challenges us to see the larger picture to understand that some challenges can bring us to a better place in life. In this case, by selling all their possessions to Pharaoh, the country was able to create a national food storage system under Joseph’s leadership. That food reserve helped keep everyone alive. Later Joseph, Pharaoh’s viceroy, explained to his brothers that by selling him into slavery, he was able to rise to such a powerful position and could help save his family.
The Torah tradition recognizes that at times life may seem frightening and chaotic. Yet, we are instructed to ‘keep on keeping on.’ One day all will understand. New meanings and blessings will reveal themselves to us. Through adversity, we grow and mature.
Zay a mentsch -- be a good person.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Click here to read The Rabbi's Corner on the Shir Hadash website.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS AND EVENTS
Tonight: Mussar Discussion Group, Thursday December 9, 7:30 p.m. -- Mussar is a body of teachings, a perspective, and a disciplined practice that provides distinctively Jewish answers to the questions any thinking person asks about life. For those who are new to Mussar, contact Lynn Liebling or Kayla Shonberg to learn more about this spiritual practice and our Shir Hadash group.
 
Fred Andes Honored by J Street; Award Luncheon on December 15 -- Congratulations to Shir Hadash's own CWR Committee Chair Fred Andes, recipient of J Street's Tzedek V'Shalom (Justice and Peace) Award! Fred will be honored at a luncheon at Chicago's Union League Club on Wednesday, December 15, with guest speakers former Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami. Tickets (both in-person and virtual) and sponsorships are available. For more information, click here. Please consider helping to honor Fred, by attending or Zooming in to this special event!
Help an Afghan Refugee Family Resettle Locally: In-person Volunteers Needed -- The Jewish people have been refugees relying on assistance from strangers numerous times. Now it is our turn to help the stranger. Working with HIAS, we have an opportunity to sponsor a local Afghan refugee family. We would assist them in every way as they settle into their new lives in Chicagoland. In order to sponsor a family, we need a core group of a few people willing to meet with and help the family once a week for several weeks -- perhaps a few months -- as they learn about how to navigate their new lives in the United States. HIAS will share resources with us; volunteers will receive a lot of support and guidance. In talking with people who have helped other refugee families, they say it is the most meaningful, impactful work they have ever done. If you have questions or might be interested, please contact our Social Action Chair, Lisa Burton Radzely .
 Sign Up for Reconstructing Judaism Convention, March 23-27 -- Rabbi Eitan, President Stuart Aizenberg, Board Member Lynne Arons, Assistant Education Director Samantha McArdle and Fred Andes, who is a member of Reconstructing Judaism’s Board of Governors are attending in person. Consider joining us either in person or virtually. During the convention, we will learn from and with experts, scholars and lay leaders. We will engage in conversations, ask questions, and listen. We will pray together, sing together, dance together and celebrate all that we do every day in our communities to reconstruct Judaism. For more information: Click Here.
Sunday: Shir HaNosh TV: Borecas with Reba Meshulam, Sunday December 12, 3:00 p.m. -- Join the next episode of our cooking network as Reba teaches us to make borecas, a Sephardic savory pastry with a long history! Click here to RSVP to receive the full recipe and Zoom link. Come cook with us!
Next Thursday: Book Club Reads Invisible City, Thursday, December 16, 7:30 p.m. -- Join in a lively discussion of this mystery novel by Julia Dahl! Rebekah Roberts, a runner for the New York Tribune, is sent on assignment to report on a gruesome murder in a scrap yard in Brooklyn. As Rebekah delves more deeply into the victim's past in the Hasidic community of Borough Park, her compulsion to learn the truth gets her into trouble, in a world where she is a stranger.
Soap Sack Collections Continue -- Thanks to everyone who created our first batch of soap sacks. The lovely sacks with soap were donated to The Ark. There are two shelters in the city who are expecting donations from our next batch of soap sacks. Please keep crocheting and knitting and drop off your completed soap sacks in the red basket between the synagogue front doors. Contact Wendy Kopulsky with any questions.
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
Religious School, December 12 -- We look forward to seeing our students at 9:45 Sunday morning.
ADULT EDUCATION
Virtual Lunch and Learn, Thursday December 9 --- Join Rabbi Eitan and Shir Hadash members and friends for a refreshing, contemporary exploration of the weekly Torah portion.
Virtual Adult Ed Sunday Morning Programs: Adults are welcome to join in the following adult education programs on most Sundays:
- Hebrew Reading -- No Meeting December 12. Class will resume on December 19 at 10:00 a.m. For more information, contact Steve Lewin.
- Torah and Jewish Philosophy, December 12, 10:00 a.m: If you would like to participate, contact Fred Andes.
ONGOING FUNDRAISERS
No-Cost Ways to Support Shir Hadash -- There are several fundraising opportunities to support Shir Hadash without spending anything extra! Click here to learn about restaurant dine-and-donate programs, SHOP Shir Hadash gift cards, and iGive and Amazon Smile rebate donations.
To view past editions of the Newsletter, please visit our website. |
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