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Shir Chadash Newsletter
March 7 - March 13, 2024
27 Adar I - 3 Adar II 5784
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Security Reminder: 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. | |
Health Reminder: With the return of Winter, also comes the return of rising numbers of Covid, flu, and RSV in our community. If you are feeling ill, please consider staying home and participating in services online to protect those around you, especially the more susceptible members of our Congregation. | |
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Dear Shir Chadash community,
My topic for this week will be how to learn the Hebrew language. I once heard a lecture in which the presenter urged those in the diaspora to learn Hebrew in order to be more involved in “authentic” conversation with our brothers and sisters in Israel. This seems like sound advice, and there is more than one path to achieving this goal.
First, you can enroll in Hebrew at Tulane University, or one of the other local colleges. The homework, exams, papers and quizzes will seem like a nuisance, but the accountability will definitely help you learn. Plus, being with young people will be fun and make you feel young yourself!
Second, you can try an online course. It’s crucial that you spend time consistently with it, however, and you need to research carefully the quality of online ulpan. But with the right class and a good instructor, you can make progress.
Finally, if you already know some Hebrew, but want to improve, try watching one of the Israeli shows on Netflix. How about watching Shtisel, for example, a really enjoyable show that I saw during COVID. Be sure to turn on closed captioning, which will help you catch words you missed. Or you can watch Borat: Subsequent Movie Film, which shows Sacha Baron Cohen speaking “Kazakh” when, in fact, he is speaking Hebrew! (Yes, really – Cohen speaks Hebrew). Cohen is a popular actor in Israel, and that’s a big reason why.
Any way you choose, you can’t go wrong by improving your fluency in the “mother tongue.”
Of course, if you need additional help, the leadership of both Shir Chadash and of the New Orleans Jewish community, are here to assist you. Below, you will find link to resources which can help, whether you are seeking pastoral support, an opportunity for pro-Israel advocacy, or a chance to help Israel financially, spiritually, or through volunteer work. 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.
~ Rabbi Scott Hoffman
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We wish a great big MAZEL TOV to Eileen Wallen on receiving the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of Realtors Lifetime Achievement Award on the evening of February 29th. What an incredible honor - and so well-deserved! | |
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Looking Ahead: Shir Chadash Calendar
All links have migrated to our webpage. Click here to get there!
WWW.SHIRCHADASH.ORG
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Friday, March 8th
5:30 pm, Holy Happy Hour
5:30 pm, Babysitting
6:15 pm, Shabbat Evening Services, featuring special guest, Seminary Student Jonathon Adler
Saturday, March 9th
9:30 am, Shabbat Morning Services, featuring a D'var Torah by special guest, Seminary Student Jonathon Adler, followed by Kiddush lunch
10 am, Family Shabbat Service (geared towards children aged 6-12) - Siblings and parents welcome!
10 am, Babysitting
Sunday, March 10th
9 am, SHUL SCHOOL, featuring hamantaschen-making and Purim songs with special guest, Seminary Student Jonathon Adler
9:15 am, Minyan with Men's Club, followed by breakfast
11:30 am, Hamantasch-a-rama
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11:30 am - 1 pm: Children & Families
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1 - 3 pm: All ages
Monday, March 11th
7:30 pm, General Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 13th
10 am, Sisterhood Class: The Bible Says...That?
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Thursday, March 14th
8:30 am, Morning Minyan, celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of Kirk Bellard
Friday, March 15th
6:15 pm, Family Kabbalat Shabbat: A multi-generational service for all!
Saturday, March 16th
9:30 am, Shabbat Morning Services, followed by Kiddush lunch sponsored by Lis & Hugo Kahn in honor of their wedding anniversary and Lis' birthday
10 am, Babysitting
Sunday, March 17th
9 am, SHUL SCHOOL
9:15 am, Minyan with Men's Club, followed by breakfast
10:30 am, Sunday Mah Jongg - Open to all players of any experience level
10:30 am, Hands on Art Program with Sisterhood - Seder Plate Painting - RSVP to Charisse Sands at annsandsc@aol.com
Tuesday, March 19th
11 am, Lunch & Learn: Codes of Jewish Law
Wednesday, March 20th
10 am, Sisterhood Class: The Bible Says...That?
6:30 pm, YAS Purim Schpiel & Spritzers - at Zony Mash Beer Project - RSVP HERE
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Shir Chadash Events & Announcements | |
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With special guest, Seminary Student Jonathon Adler,
leading us in a melodious Shabbat Evening Service
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Led by Rabbi David Cohen-Henriquez
Everyone is welcome to join us in the main service afterwards!
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Get ready to roll, fill, and bake up a storm of hamantaschen! With endless flavor possibilities and no limit to the number you can make, let's turn up the oven and unleash our inner baking maestros!
Sponsored by Shir Chadash Sisterhood
Contact Sisterhood President, Charisse Sands,
at annsandsc@aol.com for more information
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Stay tuned for more information! | |
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: April 9
"Goodbye Columbus"
by Philip Roth
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: March 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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NEW ADULT EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES | |
MAH JONGG SUNDAYS AT SHIR CHADASH | |
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Come play Mah Jongg at Shir Chadash once a month on Sundays at 10:30 AM!
New and experienced players are welcome!
Upcoming Dates: March 17 | April 28 | May 26 | June 23
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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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Hadassah Launching "End The Silence" Campaign | |
Hadassah has been loudly denouncing Hamas’s heinous acts of sexual and gender-based violence for months. As global humanitarian leaders, we are shaken to the core by these atrocities and the fact that these crimes have been justified, denied and even celebrated by some. Rape and sexual violence should never be sanctioned as an act of war. That is why Hadassah’s volunteers, professional staff and our colleagues in Israel and Hadassah International have come together as One Hadassah to build on our existing work and launch a global campaign, End The Silence.
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UPCOMING CLASSES & PROGRAMMING! | |
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Brunch & Book Review
Sunday, March 31st
Following Minyan with Men's Club
Brunch with your friends and participate in a stimulating discussion of the book
The Glass Chateau by Stephen Kiernan, which will be led by Judy Steinberg. This exciting event will be held at Shir Chadash on Sunday, March 31st, 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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Rosh Chodesh Gathering & Learning
As advertised, Sundays at 10:30 AM
Next Session: April 14th
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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Community Events and Announcements | |
Author Stephanie Deutsch will present on her book, You Need a Schoolhouse, which dives into the historical partnership between Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, two dynamos who changed the fate of thousands of Black students across the South in the Jim Crow era. | We are proud to help support the senior community in Jefferson Parish, and to provide seniors with information and access to much-needed organizations and businesses. The purpose of the Exposition is to provide vital, informative, health and welfare initiatives for Jefferson Parish senior residents with the goal of increasing longevity, and improving quality of life. | Kicking off our new Jewish & New Orleans Cuisine & Heritage Series is this delicious event with Kugels and Collards authors Lyssa Harvey and Rachel Barnett. Through recipes and stories, the two food authors will explore the food history, traditions, and memories of South Carolina Jewry. The Jewish & New Orleans Cuisine & Heritage Series is a collaborative project between MSJE, the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, and the Tulane Grant Center for the American Jewish Experience. | |
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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