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Shir Chadash Newsletter
December 7 - December 13, 2023
24 Kislev - 1 Tevet 5784
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Please be aware that due to security concerns, we are, for the time being, implementing a new security protocol in which we will require Photo ID from non-members or unfamiliar faces joining us for services. We hope you understand and still decide to join us in prayer as we observe and celebrate Shabbat. | |
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Dear Shir Chadash community,
Tonight, as we celebrate Chanukkah, we are reminded of its central symbol, light. Chanukkah is known both in English and Hebrew as the holiday of lights (chag urim). It’s light which symbolizes peace and coexistence, and darkness which symbolizes war and hatred. Dr. King reminded us that darkness can’t drive away darkness; only light can do that.
As we do our utmost to support Israel, we should remember that we must defeat our enemies not only on the field of battle but also in the world of ideas. We must never traffic in hatred simply because they do. Remember that one of the triggers for Hamas’ terror attack was the rapprochement of the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab nations. Hamas would love nothing better than to undo this breakthrough by broadcasting scenes of Jewish leaders engaging in Islamophobia on al Jazeera. We must defend ourselves against Hamas while also remaining true to our ideals.
The leadership of both Shir Chadash and of the New Orleans Jewish community, are here to assist you. Below, you will find a list of resources which can help, whether you are seeking pastoral support, an opportunity for pro-Israel advocacy, or a chance to help Israel financially. Please feel free to take advantage of these resources as fully as you like. And if you need additional help, please feel free to call us in the office.
Chag urim sameach,
Rabbi Scott Hoffman
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PASTORAL CARE
These are unprecedented times and we understand that some may need an extra helping hand or someone to talk to. Whether you are one of the many in our community who have friends, family, or loved ones in Israel, or you need a compassionate ear to help come to grips with this past week's events, please don't hesitate to reach out to Rabbi Hoffman at the office, 504-889-1144, or by email at rabbiscott@shirchadash.org.
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RESOURCES
We are fortunate enough to have several Jewish organizations, both local and national, that are continually updating their websites with resources that may be helpful in navigating this difficult time. Please see some below:
The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans
The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
For those who wish to directly serve the country’s needs in Israel, these short-term volunteer opportunities are available to explore:
Jewish National Fund (four days of structured group volunteering per mission)
Volunteers for Israel (1-3 week stints of non-combat service on an IDF base)
Camp Ramah is developing Solidarity and Service trips to Israel for adults, teens, and college students - To Sign up to receive updates, fill out this form.
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The synagogues of West Esplanade, Shir Chadash, Beth Israel, Gates of Prayer, and Chabad, are joining together with a very special initiative to pray for Israel by collectively reciting the entire book of Psalms as a community each week that the Israel-Hamas war is ongoing.
Congregants are encouraged to sign up for one psalm each, which they will commit to reciting, in Hebrew or English, once weekly.
Together, with the power of our community and our faith, we can do our spiritual part to support Israel!
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JFS (Jewish Family Service) is offering free counseling to Israeli members of our Greater New Orleans community. Simply call (504) 831-8475 and ask for Michelle or email her at michelle@jfsneworleans.org. | | | |
Shir Chadash Calendar
All links have migrated to our webpage. Click here to get there!
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Friday, December 8th - 2nd Night of Hanukkah
8:30 am, Morning Minyan for the Yahrzeits of Lisa Finkelstein's mother, Betty Aron; Karen Sher's father, Dr. Hal Baumgarten; and Bobby Garon's father, Herb Garon, followed by breakfast
6:15 pm, Shabbat Evening Services
Saturday, December 9th - 3rd Night of Hanukkah
9:30 am, Shabbat Morning Services, followed by Kiddush lunch
10 am, Babysitting
10:30 am, Tot Shabbat with Ali Perez (for ages 6 and under) & Learn to Lead with Dr. Jon Mizrahi (for ages 7-12)
Sunday, December 10th - 4th Night of Hanukkah
9 am, Children's Hanukkah Party (in conjunction with Shul School - All are welcome!)
9:15 am, Minyan with Men's Club, followed by breakfast
10:30 am, Rosh Chodesh Gathering with Sisterhood
We apologize for the inconvenience, but this event has been cancelled
Tuesday, December 12th - 6th Night of Hanukkah
7 pm, Young Adult Hanukkah Party with YAS and Tribe - at Gates of Prayer - RSVP HERE
Wednesday, December 13th - 7th Night of Hanukkah
10 am, Sisterhood Class: The Bible Says...That?
12 pm, Sisterhood Hanukkah Lunch We apologize for the inconvenience, but this event has been cancelled
6:30 pm, 3rd Annual Ugly Sweater Hanukkah Trivia Night - RSVP HERE
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Thursday, December 14th - 8th Night of Hanukkah
8 am, Morning Minyan on Zoom
7 pm, Annual "Sex, Lies, & Politics" Panel Discussion: Israel and the American College Campus - RSVP HERE
Friday, December 15th
6:15 pm, Shabbat Evening Services
Saturday, December 16th
9:30 am, Shabbat Morning Services, followed by Kiddush lunch
10 am, Babysitting
6 pm, Community-wide Jewish Young Adult Havdalah, Dinner, and Discussion - at Tulane Hillel - RSVP HERE
Sunday, December 17th
9 am, SHUL SCHOOL
9:15 am, Minyan with Men's Club, followed by breakfast
10 am, Sisterhood Brunch & Book Review - RSVP to Charisse Sands at annsandsc@aol.com
Tuesday, December 19th
11 am, Lunch & Learn: Codes of Jewish Law
Wednesday, December 20th
10 am, Sisterhood Class: The Bible Says...That?
Thursday, December 21st
8 am, Morning Minyan on Zoom
Friday, December 22nd
6:15 pm, Shabbat Evening Services
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Shir Chadash Events & Announcements | |
Join us for a joint Young Adult Hanukkah Party with Tribe and YAS on the 6th night of Hanukkah at Congregation Gates of Prayer! We’ll make latkes together, have a latke topping bar, light the candles, watch some Hanukkah tv episodes, and have a white elephant gift exchange. It's going to be a blast! | |
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Please note: Neither an Ugly Sweater nor the playing of trivia
is required to attend this event. Come, shmooze, and celebrate!
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CLASSES WITH RABBI HOFFMAN | |
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Great Jewish Novels
(of the 20th Century)
Once a month, Tuesdays, 7 PM
@ Rabbi Hoffman's Home
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Next Class: January 9th
"The Bread Givers"
by Anzia Yezierska
The twentieth century saw the flourishing of multiple genres of Jewish literature. Great novels were written in pre-war Europe, the newly-established state of Israel, and the first immigrant generation in the United States. Come and discuss the ways in which this literature shaped, and was shaped by, our Jewish world.
Please RSVP to Rabbi Hoffman at rabbiscott@shirchadash.org
Click here for the full 2023-2024 schedule and book list
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Lunch & Learn:
Codes of Jewish Law
With gratitude to the Nat Leon Fund
Once a month, Tuesdays, 11 AM
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Next Class: December 19th
Join Rabbi Hoffman for a one-hour session followed by a delicious catered lunch, provided free of charge thanks to the generosity of the Nat Leon Fund. We will be looking at the various codes of Jewish law and see how Jewish sources have wrestled with questions both timeless and current. You do not need to bring anything but a hunger to learn – and perhaps a hunger for lunch. Translations will be based, wherever possible, upon the materials found in www.sefaria.org.
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Sisterhood Class: The Bible Says... That?
Wednesdays. 10 AM
In-person and available on Zoom
The so-called “historical” books of the Bible – that is, Judges, Joshua, I/II Samuel, and I/II Kings are filled with exciting and colorful stories. But are these stories satirical? Are they filled with hidden messages? Are they both didactic and entertaining? Come and join us for an exploration of these books of the Bible and learn that our ancestors’ tastes were not always far removed from our own. All materials will be provided, so just come and enjoy.
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Minyan will be in the Chapel
at 9:15 am, followed by breakfast.
Zoom participation remains an option.
Everyone welcome!
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Thursday Shacharit Minyan | |
Join us at 8 am for our
virtual weekday minyan.
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Click here for the most recent
Family Newsletter
to learn more about upcoming
children's programming!
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Click here for the most recent Shul School Recap!
If you have not yet registered your child(ren) and wish to enroll them,
please do so HERE or contact
Chaviva Sands at educationdirector@shirchadash.org.
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Top 10 Reasons to Join Sisterhood! | |
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10. Sisterhood needs & values you
9. Interesting discussions & conversations
8. Opportunities to learn new skills
7. Being a part of something bigger than yourself
6. Connections to individuals around the world
5. Longest ongoing Torah study class in NOLA
4. Innovative programming
3. Increased longevity & decreased stress
2. Unmatched support system
1. Lasting friendships
For details about membership, dues payments, or contributing, please click HERE.
Information and/or questions, contact Charisse Sands at 504-231-6464 or annsandsc@aol.com (Sisterhood in subject line)
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It’s time to order your 2024 Mah Jongg cards. A portion of each card sold is donated to Shir Chadash Sisterhood. Thank you for your support!
The selling of Mah Jongg cards last year earned $365 for Shir Chadash Sisterhood.
Regular cards are $14 and large cards are $15.
To order a card, please send a check made out to:
Harriet Hillson
4839 Bissonet Dr.
Metairie, LA 70003.
The deadline for ordering cards is January 26, 2024.
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UPCOMING CLASSES & PROGRAMMING! | |
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Games with Sisterhood
Monthly, Sundays at 10:30 AM
Next Session: December 24th
Join us at Shir Chadash for Mah Jongg, Rummikub, or bring a game of your choice and friends. Snacks and coffee provided.
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Rosh Chodesh Gathering & Learning
Monthly, Sundays at 10:30 AM
Next Session: January 7th
Rosh Chodesh is a special time for women to gather and learn. This year Sisterhood will be studying the Girls in Trouble curriculum, a project of Alicia Jo Rabins. We will follow individual women through their stories in the Torah by engaging in studying Torah text, considering the story’s relevance to our own lives, and generating our own creative interpretations. This curriculum brings biblical women to life, demonstrating the power of these often understudied stories and highlighting the ways in which they can help us navigate our own complicated lives.
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Brunch & Book Review
Sunday, December 17th
Following Minyan with Men's Club
Brunch with your friends and participate in a stimulating discussion of the book
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, which will be led by Debbie Pesses. This exciting event will be held at Shir Chadash on Sunday, December 17th, following Minyan with Men's Club. Brunch will be served at about 10 AM, followed by the book review.
Cost: $10. Please RSVP to Charisse Sands at (504) 231–6464 or annsandsc@aol.com.
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Community Events and Announcements | |
Now on exhibit at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, “A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America” is an evocative series of black-and-white photographs by Andrew Feiler memorializing the Rosenwald schools, a network of nearly 5,000 modest schoolhouses built to educate underserved Black students in the segregated south. The project, the joint dream of a Jewish philanthropist and a Black educator, narrowed the Black-white education gap that plagued Southern and border states, strengthened Black-Jewish relations, paved the way for the civil rights movement, and helped to build a new African American middle class. | |
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Contact Us
OFFICE HOURS: Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 3 PM
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