Social Justice is the unifying mandate of Reform Judaism, central to who we are and what we do in contributing to Tikkun Olam, repairing the world -- through direct service, Tzedakah (Righteous Giving), and advocacy.
Join us!
“Let me not be content when others lack their daily bread, let me not be serene while some have no roof over their heads. Teach me to give thanks for what I have by sharing it with those who are in need. Then shall life be called good, and my name be remembered for blessing.” ~ Rabbi Chaim Stern Z”L
(Day by Day: Reflections on the Themes of the Torah)
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The Temple Israel Food Drive is now in its 18th month because 38 million people face HUNGER every day and depend on food pantries to put food on the table! Each month we serve a different constituency. In July, we are circling back to the Miami Dade College/Wolfson Campus Food Pantry in support of students going back to school. How can they learn when food insecure? Please be generous, someone out there is truly depending on you!
NEEDED non-perishable items: peanut butter/jelly, crackers (i.e. Triscuits, Wheat Thins), rice (1 or 2lb. bags), dry or canned beans (pinto, pink, black), grits, pasta/pasta sauce, canned tuna/chicken (preferably pull-off tops or vacuum packed), cereal (small boxes), protein bars, MICROWAVEABLE ramen/mac & cheese/Chef Boyardee Beefaroni/oatmeal, fruit/applesauce cups.
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Contributions can be dropped off at TI during Shabbat services/Torah Study OR during office hours M-Th/9-5 PM and Fridays until 4 PM. To give from the comfort and safety of your homes, use INSTACART...Thank you!
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Temple Israel of Greater Miami
137 NE 19th St.
Miami, FL 33132
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Our voices in the upcoming elections are crucial as never before! The RAC non-partisan “Every Voice, Every Vote Campaign” is unfolding, so first and foremost be sure that you are registered to vote in the Florida Primary (8/23) and the General Election (11/8).
Check your Miami-Dade Voter status HERE and get more election information HERE. If you do not live in Miami-Dade County, check your Florida status HERE. Stay in the RAC campaign loop by subscribing HERE. Be election ready, your vote counts!
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Postcard from Jerusalem: On Day Nine, we discovered Yad Lakashish (“LifeLine for the Old” since 1962), an amazing non-profit providing needy seniors with creative work opportunities and support services respecting their dignity and independence (Our Story). 230 participants – including Holocaust survivors up to 96-years-old! – work 4-hour shifts, handcrafting gorgeous products referencing local history/culture. We were greeted by Director of Community Relations Susan Lebetkin, who started here 17 years ago after coming from Miami (where she was associated with Sha’arei Bina, a girls school originally housed on the TI campus). She led us on a tour of the 9 workshops – ceramics, paper-mache, sewing, painting, metalwork and more. The faces of those who work and flourish in this loving environment say it all! Shopping gave us an opportunity for Tzedakah and one-of-a kind gifts that account for 20% of the operating budget. For your chance to shop online in support of Yad Lakashish click HERE. Otherwise, be sure to put it on your bucket list. Shalom!
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Once again we are partnering with Unity on the Bay’s Backpack Drive, South Florida’s largest with a goal to distribute 5,000 backpacks. But it's about more than just backpacks! Too many families struggle daily to make ends meet. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table and providing their children with the tools they need to succeed at school. Support of the Backpack Drive and underserved children is vital. Every $15 underwrites one of those backpacks stuffed with all the supplies those kids need. So please be generous by making a contribution HERE (a special donation page for Temple Israel).
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We have resumed our time-honored tradition* of serving dinner to Chapman Partnership residents and their children every fourth Monday of the month from 4:45-7:00 pm. The really beautiful thing about this mitzvah project is how appreciative the residents are. Your next opportunity to take a turn is Monday, July 25th! To join our Chapman Team, please contact Elaine Litvak (elitvak273@aol.com). We sponsor that meal via the Charles Held Jr. Memorial Fund to Feed the Hungry, and you can DONATE HERE. (*Temple Israel has been associated with the Chapman Partnership since its inception in 1996 as the Homeless Assistance Center.)
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“Food is a universal human right!” Barely 4 months ago, Russia invaded Ukraine and forever changed the lives of millions of families. World Central Kitchen has since built the largest food relief operation in Ukraine, reaching more than 230 cities and towns. The WCK Relief Team serves hundreds of thousands of fresh meals each day and also distributes food kits by the tens of thousands containing enough ingredients to feed a family for about a week. Food distribution sometimes happens in areas completely cut off due to fighting and near the Russian border. WCK provides relief and builds resilience. You can be part of this amazing project by clicking HERE!
“When you talk about food and water, people don’t want a solution one week from now, one month from now. The solution has to be now.”
~ WCK Founder Jose Andres"
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Social Justice Committee: Gary Brown, Patty Craven, Raziel Levidis, Diane Lindner (Virtual Tzedakah Box), Elaine Litvak (Chapman Team), Aidan McAdams (TIFTY), Alice Miller (Lotus House), Julia Monk, Carla Neufeld, Is Perlman, Julie Scheingoltz (Religious School), Rebecca Stanier-Shulman (Unity), Suzie Sponder (Chapman Xmas Eve Mitzvah Project), Judith Stopek (Homestead), Tom Wharton, Paula Xanthopoulou (Chair), Julia Zaias.
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