Shir Chadash Newsletter
August 27 - September 2, 2020
7 Elul - 13 Elul, 5780
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As we anxiously follow the course of Hurricane Laura, a prayer: |
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Holy One
help them find peace
where they lie down
and help them rise up again
to life after.
Spread your shelter over them
even where shelter is scarce
or gone.
Protect them and save them
from greater danger
from greater pain
from greater sorrow
from greater suffering.
Show them mercy
show them grace
and remind them
that we stand ready
to help
and shelter
and protect
and support them too.
Amen.
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Elul - Counting Down to the High Holy Days |
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Please do read and enjoy the daily email, which has been curated by Rabbi Amy Levin of the Masorti Movement in Israel. Please take a moment each day to let the sound of Josh Sands’ Shofar call to you. And on Shabbat, let us take some time to dream what this new year might hold in store. |
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The Institute for Jewish Spirituality presents, The Shofar Project, a free, self-led program for Elul, where each week will focus on a different aspect of awakening and renewal. Once you sign-up, you will receive emails with the links to video teachings and a variety of live online events that explore the week’s theme.
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Let's hear that shofar blow! |
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As part of our virtual High Holiday services we are offering the opportunity to submit your own High Holiday greeting! Send us a picture and what you would like to say (be brief!) and we will compile everything into a slide show that will run online adjacent to our High Holiday services.
Please note that pictures will work better in Landscape mode rather than Portrait.
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All submissions MUST be in by Friday, September 4. The suggested donation is $36. There will be an option under your Chaverweb account to donate online.
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This week, as we approach the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and with Hurricane Laura making landfall just west of us, we will not be dressing up for Fancy Friday. Instead we invite you all to support the efforts that are being made to help those caught in the path of Laura. Click here for ideas on how best to do so!
Be well and stay safe. We'll return with Fancy Friday next week!
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Spread the Smiles
We know that these last few months have been unlike any other and that we have all had to adjust to our new way of life in quarantine. We hope that along with all the change we have experienced, there have been moments of laughter and lots of smiles - and we would love to hear about them! Please share a fun moment or experience you have had while staying at home - whether it's a piece of writing, or maybe a photo - we would love to share a smile with the rest of the community.
If you would like to contribute,
Here are some entries from this past week:
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Jonathan and Branagh Cohen keeping up the tradition of cleaning the Torah silver.
Todah Rabah, Cohen Mishpachah!
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Join us at 9:15am for our Sunday minyan followed by a check-in and a virtual L'Hayyim!
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Tuesday, September 1st at 7 pm
Panel Discussion on "Me Too Affects You Too!"
Wednesday, September 2nd at 10 am
Read & Lead series continues with a discussion on At the Home by E. L. Konigsburg.
Wednesday, September 9th at 10 am
Read & Lead Series continues with a discussion of A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell.
Wednesday, September 16th at 10 am
Read & Lead Series continues with a discussion of The Christmas Tree (author unknown).
Wednesday, September 23rd at noon
Author Rina Neiman will be speaking about her new book,
Born Under Fire followed by Q & A.
Wednesday, October 7th at noon
Book review of The Third Daughter by Talia Carner
Wednesday, October 14th at 10 am
Read & Lead Series continues with a discussion of Tevye Wins a Fortune by Sholom Aleichem.
Wednesday, October 21st at 10 am
Read & Lead Series continues with a discussion of Dreyfous in Kasrilevke by Sholom Aleichem.
Wednesday, October 28th at 10 am
Read & Lead Series continues with a discussion of With Bert and Ray
from Throwing Shadows by E. L. Konigsburg.
Click here for more information on these upcoming events.
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Contributions to Sisterhood/Sisterhood Endowment Fund as well as paying dues, sending Shanah Tovah greetings to the congregation, etc. may be paid online on Chaverware or www.shirchadash.org or by sending a check to Madilyn Samuels.
For details about membership, dues payments, or contributing, please click HERE.
For questions or for more info about Sisterhood, contact Charisse Sands at
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This year, our Shul School programs are adapting to the pandemic by going online through at least January 2021. With the help of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute for Southern Jewish Life, we have adapted our existing shul school curriculum to be accessible via Zoom, and with the input of parents in our community, we're exploring innovative ways to teach Hebrew reading skills, prayer, Torah, and Jewish traditions to our elementary-aged congregants, and to prepare our young congregants who are approaching b'nai Mitzvah for that simcha.
We are also thrilled to welcome back Meryl Zimmerman as our Education Director this year! Meryl is a friendly and familiar face to our congregation's children, young and slightly-less young, and her warmth, enthusiasm for Jewish learning, and beautiful voice are a great gift to our kehilla.
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PJ Library is offering a collection of ways to keep your family busy over the summer.
Check out their July and August newsletters below for crafts, recipes, and more fun activities!
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Looking Ahead
(Click on the bold writing to join the ZOOM meeting)
SOME OF THE LINKS HAVE CHANGED.
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Friday, August 28th
Saturday, August 29th
Sunday, August 30th
Tuesday, September 1st
Wednesday, September 2nd
Thursday, September 3rd
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Friday, September 4th
Saturday, September 5th
Sunday, September 6th
Wednesday, September 9th
Thursday, September 10th
Friday, September 11th
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Buy Your Own Siddur Lev Shalem
Thanks to the generosity of our donor, we are able to offer the Siddur Lev Shalem for purchase at a price of $40.00 (a discount of $9.00 from the list price).
Additionally, anyone who wants to can borrow an 'old' Siddur Sim Shalom.
Please email the office if you would like to arrange a purchase or pick up – [email protected]
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Dear Shir Chadash community,
On a day that now feels a very long time ago, there was a Bar Mitzvah at Shir Chadash. David Lazarus read from the beginning of the Torah and chanted one of the longest haftarot of our tradition to welcome the month of Cheshvan. At either side of the Bimah stood two satsuma saplings, a gift from his family.
The thing about saplings is that they grow! Because we didn’t have the right place for them at Shir Chadash - we must thank Rick Lemmler for his care in keeping them alive - they were brought to the parsonage and planted in the backyard.
One of the trees settled in quickly and is now full of little green fruits. The other was more delicate and took a while to establish itself, but it now bears a single, almost full-size satsuma and this week decided to blossom as well.
One tree reminds me of the importance of striking root firmly in new places and getting on with business. The other seems to be telling me that it’s okay to be a little bit different from normal and not meet expectations. I’ve seen both these sets of behaviors manifesting during the pandemic and find both admirable - keeping on going on the one hand, and acknowledging that things aren’t the same on the other.
Together these little trees are are teaching us about the new year.
Rabbi Silver
PS - I always provide a few new links for Shabbat, so please scroll down…
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Virtual services and
pre/post Shabbat materials
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We hope that playing these in the background has been getting you in the mood for Shabbat!
Here is our Shabbat playlist and for our younger members, here is the Shir Chadash Youtube page, where you can spend some time with Miss Meryl and the Shabbat dinosaur!
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And “Mitzvah Impossible” from Shalom Sesame: |
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Please join us for Kabbalat Shabbat at this link on Friday night at 6:15 pm.
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Shabbat morning liturgy at home |
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I hope that by now we are in the habit of making a computer-free time on Shabbat to pray, to reflect and to study.
You can find an online Siddur here - please download before Shabbat.
At the end of this article is Rabbi Wayne Dosick’s prayer to say in place of Kaddish.
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Torah: Deuteronomy 21:10 - 23:7
Maftir: Deuteronomy 23:4-7
Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10
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Torah study
The Torah reading for this week is in the red panel above. If you do not have a Humash at home you can find it on the link below. We are reading Triennial Year 1, but you might like to read the full portion (“Full Kriyah”).
There are more mitzvot in this week’s Torah portion than any other in the Torah - so, lots to think about! Here are the materials from the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem for this week.
And here is a piece from the Schechter Institute - also in Jerusalem.
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Brochure
Our Shabbat brochure with the Verse To Live By, yahrzeits, and simchas for this week is attached. You might wish to take special notice of those who are sick and take a moment to direct your thoughts towards them.
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Prayer for Medical Workers
We first created this prayer in the first week of the pandemic. It is as relevant now as it was then. Many members of our community are healthcare workers and have been steadily doing their best, day by day, to help deal with this unprecedented situation. You might wish to print out this prayer and make it part of your daily practice…
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Holy One
We ask your blessing for our doctors
for our nurses
for all our hospital workers
who stand between the living and the dying
as Aaron once stood.
Help them to know they are not alone
as they undertake the overwhelming holy work
of deploying and organizing,
of caring and healing and comforting.
Bring them strength
and fortitude
and grace.
May the work of their hands be blessed.
And we say,
Amen.
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The Blood Center needs your help to address New Orleans’ critically low blood supply at the start of hurricane season. Blood already on the shelves saves lives, and maintaining a sufficient blood supply is essential to ensure patients in need receive optimal treatment. Successful whole blood donations will be tested for COVID-19 antibodies.
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Community Events and Announcements |
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Join JFS for a 6-week online therapeutic group. They'll discuss anxiety, depression, isolation, and more, especially as they relate to current events. Led by their master-level interns, their online therapy groups allow clients to find healing and share their experiences from the safety of their homes.
Click HERE for more information.
If you would like to learn more about JFS and the support they can provide, click HERE.
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in partnership with
presents
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The third anti-Semitism program in this four-part series will be held on Sunday, August 30th at 3 PM, this one on the Current and Historical Experience with Hate Crimes presented by Steven Pomerantz, former Assistant Director of the FBI. This presentation will include a breakdown of the current FBI demographics of hate crimes motivated by anti-Semitic rhetoric and violence from the extreme right and extreme leftist elements of American society.
Mr. Pomerantz has represented the FBI and the law enforcement community on numerous occasions in a variety of settings both domestically and internationally. He is an expert in the area of terrorism as well as criminal justice information. During his 27 year career, Mr. Pomerantz served three separate tours of duty at FBI Headquarters, including as Chief, Counterterrorism Section. In that capacity, Mr. Pomerantz had responsibility for supervision of all FBI counterterrorism investigations both domestically and abroad.
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The Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic Halakha
Wednesday, September 2, 11 AM CDT
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Dr. Vered Noam, 2020 Israel Prize winner in Talmud, is full professor at the Department of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud and currently the chair of the Chaim Rosenberg School of Jewish Studies and Archaeology at Tel Aviv University. She is also a Michael Bruno Memorial Award winner of the Rothschild Foundation. Publications include From Qumran to the Rabbinic Revolution: Conceptions of Impurity and Josephus and the Rabbis (with Tal Ilan).
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JTS, Ziegler, and the Conservative Yeshiva bring you virtual learning opportunities designed to bridge our Jewish experiences with our pressing challenges in the modern day, and providing intimate spaces for Torah Lishma, the study of Torah just for the sake of learning.
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Have you ever used ZOOM? We are holding meetings and classes using this online program. Please look at this tutorial so you can join us! We hope to see you soon!
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Thank you to all our generous donors. We are deeply grateful for your support. |
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Caring Committee Fund
To: Charles & Jackie Stern
In honor of Sara Matile Schwarz
From: Ken & Sue Rae Bishop
To: Elliott & Sandy Raisen
Mazel Tov to Sandy & Elliott Raisen on their 70th wedding anniversary!
From: Mark & Barbara Kaplinsky
To: The Family of Jeannine Burk
In memory of Jeannine Burk. She was a beautiful person who we will always remember.
From: Danny & Melanie Bronfin
General Fund
From: Alan & Linda Jacobs
To: Charles & Jackie Stern
In memory of Sara Matile Schwarz
From: Walter & Laura Levy
To: The Family of Andi Madderra
Our hearts go out to you and your family at this difficult time. Please accept our deepest condolences, and we hope you find comfort and strength in your many memories of Andi.
With sympathy,
Danny & Melanie Bronfin
To: Sheldon & Benay Bernstein
In honor of Shelly Bernstein
From: Deena Gerber
To: Scott Levitan
In memory of Gertrude Levitan
From: Rabbi Allan Lehmann
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Herbert & Margot Garon Memorial Fund
In memory of Andrea Madderra
From: Eileen Wallen
Nat Leon Education Fund
To: Scott Levitan
In memory of Gertrude Levitan
From: Barbara Singerman Fox
Rabbi's Discretionary Fund
To: Deborah Silver
Thank you for helping to make the evening such a special and joyous one. We look forward to seeing you soon
From: Elliott & Sandy Raisen
Stan Bleich Lagniappe Fund
To: Steven & Miriam Bleich
In honor of the birth of Bradley Noah Bleich
From: Sanford Pailet
Yahrzeit Fund
In memory of Andi Madderra
From: Nita-Joan Sams
In memory of Shirley Eason
From: Sol & Lois Heiman
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Chaverweb Online Member Access |
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Watch the video above that another congregation put together with some basics about how to use ChaverWeb. (Please note - some of the functionality in this video is specific to the Beth Chaim Congregation and not yet available to Shir Chadash at this time.) |
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Did you get your welcome email?
If not, please contact the synagogue office.
Subject line: Welcome to Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation's Online Member Access!
With this online portal, you can manage your personal synagogue business online:
- Manage your account online
- Set a secure private password
- Update your info (name, address, photo, link yourself to family members and Yahrzeits)
- Check your account balance
- Make payments and donations
- RSVP for upcoming events (coming soon)
- and so much more!
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Rabbi
Executive Director
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Education Director
Sarah Lustig
Office Assistant
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