Your monthly news & updates
on how you can Tikkun Olam
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Dear TBE Tikkun Olam Community,
The month of Elul has begun, which means we are less than 4 weeks from Rosh Hashanah. It is now that we begin the work of teshuvah, return. Let us return to ourselves, our families, and the sacred work of repairing our world.
Wishing you and your family a sweet and happy 5780!
L'shanah tovah,
Sandy Aronson, Julie Kriess, and Rabbi Rachel Saphire
**Please Note: this email may be too long for your email provider. Look for the "[Message clipped] View entire message" link at the bottom**
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Check Out Our New Website!
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After more than a year of hard work and effort from designers, developers, staff, and TBE volunteers, we are excited to announce that our new TBE website is live! Check out the new Repair the World (Tikkun Olam) page at the link. (And
click here to see a rundown of all of the new features)
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In our Tzedakah Box this month
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High Holy Day Hunger Drive
Help address the urgent need for food locally, nationally and internationally. As a result of this annual community-wide fundraiser, we are able to collectively make a substantial contribution to these organizations - together we can make a difference. Learn more about our partner organizations and donate at the link.
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What we are Collecting this Month
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Family Table
Family Table is Greater Boston's only Jewish food pantry. As a community, each month we are responsible for supplying 50 cans of salmon and 50 boxes of whole grain cereal for families in need. Please bring in a can of salmon or a box of cereal the next time you come to TBE!
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Get Grounded with CASA
Saturday, September 21, 2019, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
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Join us as CASA joyfully returns to Gaining Ground, a nonprofit organic working farm in Concord. In our first event of the new year, volunteers will help harvest and prepare the soil for new plantings. All produce is shared with food pantries and hunger programs within a 20-mile radius.
RSVP to Ilene at the link!
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Family Social Action Group: Craft Kits for the Parent Child Home Program
Saturday, September 21, 2019, 2:30 - 4:30 pm
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Join our Family Social Action group for their first event of the year. Create seasonal craft kits for preschool children in the Parent Child Home Program, an early intervention program that provides literacy, parenting and school readiness services. Your participation will help children who need a little extra help learning essential skills they will need for kindergarten. The event involves simple assembly and is good for children ages 5+ with parent help or 7+ without parent help.
Learn more and RSVP at the link!
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JF&CS Family Table Distribution
Sunday, September 22, 10:15 am
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Come volunteer at New England's largest kosher food pantry, Family Table. During this volunteer opportunity, you will pack and deliver groceries for families in Greater Boston.
To volunteer, please contact Jen Lawrence at the link ASAP.
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Volunteer with our TBE Literacy Program
Ongoing
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Do you love to read? Would you like to share your love of reading with children in a one-to-one setting? Please consider joining our Literacy team for a rewarding volunteer experience reading with a child (or two) in grades K to 4 for one hour during the week. Our Temple Beth Elohim Literacy Team is beginning its 21st year of volunteering at the Potter Road School, our partner school in Framingham. You choose any day that fits your schedule. No prior teaching experience is required…just a desire to help a child improve their reading skills. Learn more by contacting Wendy Cultice at the link.
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Learning and Social Justice
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TBE Green Team Meeting
Thursday, September 19, 7:30-9:00
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Join our TBE Green Committee as they meet to plan for a “sustainable” 5780. They will be reviewing next steps for ongoing projects and discuss future pathways for our community.
RSVP to Sheryl and learn more at the link.
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The Good Fight: Confronting Anti-Semitism with the ADL
Sunday, October 27, 9:30 am - 2:00 pm
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Join TBE, the ADL, and the Greater Boston community for an informative and hands-on one-day forum dedicated to combating anti-Semitism. Featured speakers include Professor Deborah Lipstadt (Emory University), Bari Weiss (New York Times Opinion Editor), and John Berman (CNN Anchor). Skill-building workshop topics on learning about and confronting anti-semitism in a variety of spaces.
Learn more about this event and RSVP at the link.
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Racial Justice Initiative Quarterly Meeting: Restorative Justice
Monday, October 28, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
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Join our Racial Justice Initiative (RJI) at their first Quarterly Meeting of 5780! RJI’s first HOT TOPIC will feature our new partnership with Communities for Restorative Justice, the organization to which 24 Massachusetts communities and the Middlesex and Suffolk County District Attorneys make referrals. Hear from an interactive panel of staff, police, personnel and community volunteers who participate in the “Circle” process in this cooperative restorative approach. And of course, learn how you can become involved!
Learn more about this meeting and restorative justice, and RSVP at the link.
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New Initiative: Connect with our Muslim and Christian neighbors
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Join this new initiative that seeks to facilitate meaningful connections between TBE and different faith communities.
To learn more or express interest, please contact Sandy Aronson by replying to this email.
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New Initiative: Responding to Anti-Semitism and Hate
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A little over a month ago, 30+ TBE members, as well as Sandy and Rabbi Saphire, met to discuss potential efforts in response to rising anti-semitism and hate in our community. These efforts include lobbying for the
Genocide Education Act with the ADL, creating a rapid response network to acts of hate, meeting with Wellesley officials, engaging parents and adults, interfaith learning, and TBE community education.
Please click on the "learn more" link to see the meeting notes and specifics on next steps for action. Please reply to this email if you are interested in this initiative.
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Learn how you can Repair the World
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Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters Information Session
Sunday, October 20, 3:00 pm
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Learn how you can make a difference with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters, which connects children in need to adult mentors, and introduces adults who have disabilities to new friends in their communities. A few hours of your time a month can change their lives. Hear personal stories about the impact you can make.
Learn more and RSVP at the link.
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New Initiative: Be a Special Education Surrogate Parent - Info Meeting
Monday, October 21, 7:00 pm
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Join a TBE of corps of volunteer parent advocates for students in state custody and have special education needs. Help ensure that every child in the care of the Massachusetts Department for Children and Families (DCF) receives the educational supports they need to succeed. Volunteers receive training and support to be effective Special Education Surrogate Parents. Find out more at an Information Meeting at TBE.
Learn more and RSVP at the link.
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Greater Boston Interfaith Organization - Learn how you can affect change
Wednesday, October 30, 7:00 pm
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- Are you or someone you care about impacted by the high costs of prescription drugs or the lack of parity in access to mental health services? Have you been hit with a huge “surprise” bill for uncovered services by a medical provider?
- Do you watch the frightening crackdown, detention, and deportation of undocumented parents, children, and individuals fleeing violence and poverty, and feel that as ones who know what it is to have been “the stranger,” we need to stand up for the rights of the vulnerable here in Massachusetts?
- Do you believe that we are more powerful fighting injustice when we work together and build relationships across communities of faith, race, income, and other divides?
- Did you know that TBE members can engage on these issues and more, and help build real power for social change, through our membership and participation in the Greater Boston Interfaith organization?
Join Rabbi Saphire and TBE’s Racial and Immigrant Justice leaders for an exciting, informative session on TBE’s newly revitalized membership in the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)! Learn about the model of GBIO activism and how TBE can help participate and lead in this recognized multi-faith, multicultural, multi-racial social justice organization.
RSVP to Sheri Kassirer at the link.
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"TBE Softball Team’s Annual Mitzvah"
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Each of the 1,380 chairs for the High Holy Days is set up by a TBE Softball player. It’s their annual mitzvah project, started when the building opened.
Learn more on TBE's new blog at the link!
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Homebuilding Trip to New Orleans
Sunday, January 5 - Friday, January 10
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Join Cantor Sufrin and temple member John Solon as they lead a group of 10-14 TBE members in a meaningful hands-on mitzvah to rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. We will volunteer with SBP, a New Orleans based nonprofit that rebuilds homes after disasters. No previous construction experience is needed.
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Make a Difference with our Partners
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Help us and our partners repair the world!
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Support the largest Kosher food pantry in New England - October 6, 2019
JF&CS Family Table will be participating again this year in the Ride for Food. This annual cycling event has been a tremendous fundraiser for Family Table and has enabled JF&CS to provide much needed healthy food for hundreds of families each year.
Please consider joining the team by either riding or spinning.
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Be a Big Brother or Big Sister
What does it take to change a life? A few hours, twice a month. A favorite hobby. A trip to a
museum. A game of pick-up basketball. A shared meal or visit to the ice cream shop. Volunteer
with Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston to change lives through the giving of
your time, your energy, and your passion. Be matched, 1:1, with a child looking for a mentor, or
an adult with disabilities looking for a friend. Learn more about how JBBBS has helped people
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Volunteer at Centre Street Food Pantry in Newton
Centre Street Food Pantry's mission is to provide families with consistent access to nutritious food in a dignified and sensitive environment. As many as 85 families shop each time they open! They are looking for volunteers to help during pantry hours: Tuesdays 12:00-1:30 pm and 3:00-8:00 pm, and the first Saturday of the month 11:00am-2:00pm. Shifts are available in 2 hour increments and you can come as often or as little as you want. For more information, contact Risa Shames at the link.
Contact Risa Shames for more information
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Support TBE Members Doing Good Works
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MAVEN Project - Doctors: Volunteer and make a differece
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TBE Physicians - Retired, Semi-Retired, In Industry and In Practice:
Use your clinical expertise and make a difference - join us for an easy, fun, flexible and rewarding opportunity! The MAVEN Project seeks primary and speciality care physicians to provide advice, mentorship, and education via telehealth technology to clinic providers working in underserved communities. Join
TBE Member Lisa Bard Levine in this important opportunity! Click the link to learn more or volunteer.
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Tikkun Olam Calendar! (NEW!)
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Our new website allows us to have a calendar of all of our Tikkun Olam Opportunities, right on the website. In one central place, see how you can repair the world with TBE!
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What are Mitzvah Moments?
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This Mitzvah Moments monthly e-newsletter provides a monthly snapshot of upcoming Tikkun Olam events, with links to more information. The goal of the newsletter is to improve communication, lift awareness of Tikkun Olam events and provide opportunities for the TBE community to come together throughout the year to combine community, compassion and connection.
The ultimate goal of Tikkun Olam at TBE is to provide integrated “Mitzvah Moments” throughout the year which enable the whole temple community to participate in direct service opportunities, education about social justice, and/or collection drives—thereby linking our Jewish values to the act of doing/serving, compassionate giving, and affecting change—in ourselves and in the world around us.
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Tikkun Olam Youth and Community Organizer
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Vice President of Tikkun Olam
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